Bible Strands
Numbers 22:25
And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her once again.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Balaam travels along a narrow vineyard path when his donkey encounters the angel of the LORD blocking the way. The donkey turns sideways against a wall to avoid the figure, crushing Balaam’s foot and prompting him to strike her again.
The words — The Hebrew וַ/תִּלָּחֵץ (va./ti.la.Chetz) means "and it squeezed itself," describing the donkey's forced movement against the wall, while אֶל\־ הַ/קִּ֔יר (el-/ha./Kir) literally translates to "to the wall."
The thread — This narrow passage motif continues in Numbers 22:26, where the angel moves to a constricted spot with no room to turn, and parallels the broader biblical theme of God confronting human pride in Job 5:13 and Isaiah 47:12.
Why it lands — The text records a physical obstruction that halts a prophetic mission, requiring the reader to recognize divine intervention before attributing the donkey’s actions to stubbornness or Balaam’s actions to mere cruelty.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
Cross-references
- Job 5:13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
- Isaiah 47:12 So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror!