Numbers 22:29

Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Balaam speaks to his donkey immediately after the LORD opens the animal’s mouth to question why she was beaten three times. The dialogue occurs in the field during Balaam’s journey to meet Balak.

The words — The Hebrew verb הִתְעַלַּלְתְּ (hitʿallalt) means you have dealt wantonly or violently, and חֶרֶב (ḥerev) refers to the sword Balaam claims he would wield. The conditional particle ל֤וּ (lu) frames his threat as a hypothetical retaliation.

The thread — The text records Balaam’s immediate violent impulse, while Proverbs 12:16 notes that a fool’s anger is instantly known, and Matthew 15:19 traces such murderous intent to the heart.

Why it lands — The text states Balaam’s blind rage and threat before any divine correction is recorded. It requires the reader to confront how spiritual perception can be completely bypassed by pride and how quickly anger escalates to violence when confronted by the supernatural.

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

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said בִּלְעָם֙bil.'AmBalaam לָֽאָת֔וֹןla./'a.Tonto the/ donkey כִּ֥יkithat הִתְעַלַּ֖לְתְּhit.'a.Laltyou have dealt wantonlyבִּ֑יB/iwith <the>/ meל֤וּluif יֶשׁ־yesh-there חֶ֙רֶב֙che.rev[were] a sword בְּיָדִ֔יbe./ya.D/iin/ hand/ my כִּ֥יkithat עַתָּ֖ה'a.Tahnow הֲרַגְתִּֽיךְ׃ha.rag.Ti/khI killed/ you

King James Version

And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

Cross-references

Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
Proverbs 12:16 A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.

People named

Balaam