Verse 22
22. God’s anger was kindled because he went The Hebrew is capable of the following interpretation: The anger of God burned when he was g oing. Why so, since he had permitted him to go? Because Balaam had changed his mind on the way, and had decided to curse Israel, a purpose which he could not hide from God, as it appears in Numbers 22:32, thy way is perverse. This encounter with the angel did not occur at the commencement, but rather toward the close, of the journey. The nearer Balaam came to his destination the more was his mind dazzled with the honours and riches in prospect, so that he was in danger of casting to the winds the condition imposed by God.
The angel of the Lord Jehovah himself in one particular phase of his self-manifestation. See Numbers 20:16, note; Genesis 16:10; Genesis 22:11-12; Exodus 3:2-6.
For an adversary To turn him from his wicked purpose of cursing Israel, called in Numbers 22:32 his “perverse way.”
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