SEV Biblia, Chapter 22:30
Y el asna dijo a Balaam: ¿No soy yo tu asna? Sobre mí has montado desde que tú me tienes hasta este día; ¿he acostumbrado a hacerlo así contigo? Y él respondió: No.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 30. And the ass said unto Balaam , etc.] Made a reply to him, as if it understood what he said, and had the faculty of reasoning and discoursing, as well as of speaking, which is very amazing: am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? or rather, “ever since thou wast”; not ever since he was in being, but ever since he could ride, so Aben Ezra; according to which, it seems that this was the first he rode upon, and which he had always been used to; hence the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it, “upon which thou hast rode from thy youth unto this day;” and be it that Balaam was a man pretty well advanced in years, an ass is a creature that lives a long time: Pliny says it lives thirty years; and an Arabic writer makes mention of an ass that the owner of it rode on forty years: was I ever wont to do so unto thee ? to start out of the way, or lie down with him, could anyone instance be given of it? suggesting that she was a sure footed creature, and had always carefully and safely carried him, for which it appeals to him: and he said, nay ; she had never been used to serve him in such a manner as she had now, and therefore he might have concluded that something more than ordinary was the matter; and it is much his conscience had not accused him that he was wrong in coming with the princes, taking the alarm from these circumstances, had he not been an hardened creature, or, at least, had he not been so eagerly bent on riches and honour.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-35 - We must not think, that because God does not always by his providenc restrain men from sin, therefore he approves of it, or that it is no hateful to him. The holy angels oppose sin, and perhaps are employed i preventing it more than we are aware. This angel was an adversary to Balaam, because Balaam counted him his adversary; those are really ou best friends, and we ought so to reckon them, who stop our progress i sinful ways. Balaam has notice of God's displeasure by the ass. It is common for those whose hearts are fully set in them to do evil, to pus on violently, through the difficulties Providence lays in their way The Lord opened the mouth of the ass. This was a great miracle wrough by the power of God. He who made man speak, could, when he pleased make the ass to speak with man's voice. The ass complained of Balaam' cruelty. The righteous God does not allow the meanest or weakest to be abused; but they shall be able to speak in their own defence, or he will some way or other speak for them. Balaam at length has his eye opened. God has many ways to bring down the hard and unhumbled heart When our eyes are opened, we shall see the danger of sinful ways, an how much it was for our advantage to be crossed. Balaam seemed to relent; I have sinned; but it does not appear that he was sensible of this wickedness of his heart, or willing to own it. If he finds he cannot go forward, he will be content, since there is no remedy, to go back. Thus many leave their sins, only because their sins have lef them. The angel declared that he should not only be unable to curs Israel, but should be forced to bless them: this would be more for the glory of God, and to his own confusion, than if he had turned back.
Original Hebrew
ותאמר 559 האתון 860 אל 413 בלעם 1109 הלוא 3808 אנכי 595 אתנך 860 אשׁר 834 רכבת 7392 עלי 5921 מעודך 5750 עד 5704 היום 3117 הזה 2088 ההסכן 5532 הסכנתי 5532 לעשׂות 6213 לך כה 3541 ויאמר 559 לא׃ 3808
