Bible Strands
Numbers 22:30
But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The donkey addresses Balaam immediately after he threatens to strike it for avoiding the path. This exchange occurs at the precise moment the animal speaks, interrupting Balaam’s violent escalation.
The words — The Hebrew הֲ/לוֹא֩ (ha./lO') translates literally as "is it not?" or "am I not?", functioning as a rhetorical negation. Paired with אֲתֹֽנְ/ךָ֜ ('a.to.ne./Kha), meaning "your donkey," it establishes the speaker’s identity and long-standing service.
The thread — The text of 2 Peter 2:16 records this event as a rebuke delivered through a speechless creature, while 1 Corinthians 1:27 notes the broader biblical pattern of God using the weak to shame the strong.
Why it lands — The verse records a direct question about consistent treatment before any judgment is rendered. It requires the reader to acknowledge prior faithfulness before condemning a single perceived failure.
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 the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Cross-references
- 2 Peter 2:16 But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.