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.
Parallel translations
- WEB but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.
- KJV But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
- NKJV but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
- NASB but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.
- NLT But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Balaam was rebuked for his wrongdoing when a mute donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. It matters because God can use even the lowliest means to check human folly and rebellion.
Overview
Recalling Numbers 22, Peter notes how God used a speaking donkey to rebuke Balaam's senseless course. The episode highlights both Balaam's irrationality and God's sovereign restraint of evil. It serves as a vivid warning that the false teachers' madness will likewise be exposed.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Num 22:21–33So in the morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
- Eccl 7:25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
- Eccl 9:3This 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.
- Hos 9:7The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived—let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
- Luke 16:11So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
- Acts 26:11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
- Acts 26:24–25At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
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How 2 Peter 2:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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