And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
And the angel of the LORD said to him, 'Why have you beaten your donkey three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because your path is wrong in my sight.'
The angel is confronting Balaam for beating his donkey and explaining that God opposed Balaam's journey because he was heading down the wrong path.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the story of Balaam, a prophet whom the king of Moab hired to curse the Israelites as they approached the Promised Land. Balaam's donkey had repeatedly stopped and turned aside because it could see the angel blocking their path, even though Balaam couldn't see the angel at first. God had allowed Balaam to go on this journey but was clearly displeased with his motives.
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