SEV Biblia, Chapter 22:28
Entonces el SEÑOR abrió la boca al asna, la cual dijo a Balaam: ¿Qué te he hecho, que me has herido estas tres veces?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:28
Verse 28. The Lord opened the mouth of the ass] And where is the wonder of all this? If the ass had opened her own mouth, and reproved the rash prophet, we might well be astonished; but when God opens the mouth, an ass can speak as well as a man. It is worthy of remark here, that Balaam testifies no surprise at this miracle, because he saw it was the Lord's doing. Of animate and inanimate things receiving for a short time the gift of speech, the heathen mythology furnishes many fictitious examples, with which I do not deem it proper to occupy the reader's time.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 28. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam , etc.] This was a very extraordinary and miraculous affair, and effected by a supernatural power, that a dumb creature, which had not organs endued with speech, should speak so plainly and distinctly, as is after expressed; and yet it should not be thought incredible, for what is it that Omnipotence cannot do? wherefore there is no need to say, as some Jewish writers f342 , that this was all done in a visionary way, and not really and literally performed; nor can Heathens well object to the verity of it, if they believe what they themselves report concerning one of the asses which carried Bacchus over a river, to which, for reward, he gave the power of speaking with an human voice f343 ; though it is very probable the fable was framed from this story, and frequently do their writers speak of other brute creatures endued with speech; so Homer represents Xanthus, the horse of Achilles, having the faculty of speech given it by Juno: Pliny says f345 , it is commonly reported among the wonderful things of the ancients, that an ox spoke; and Livy frequently makes mention of an ox spoke speaking in divers places, and of one particularly that said, “Rome, take heed to thyself;” not to take notice of a lamb in Egypt in the times of Bocchoris that spoke, related by Aelianus and others; nor of the ram of Phrixus, or the dog at Ariminum, and the elephant of Porus in India, with others Bochart has collected together: the words spoken by the ass were as follow: what have l done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? and just so many times she had been smitten by him, ( Numbers 22:23-27).
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
ויפתח 6605 יהוה 3068 את 853 פי 6310 האתון 860 ותאמר 559 לבלעם 1109 מה 4100 עשׂיתי 6213 לך כי 3588 הכיתני 5221 זה 2088 שׁלשׁ 7969 רגלים׃ 7272
