2nd Peter Chapter 2 verse 16 Holy Bible
but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.
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But his wrongdoing was pointed out to him: an ass, talking with a man's voice, put a stop to the error of the prophet.
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but had reproof of his own wickedness -- [the] dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the folly of the prophet.
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But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
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but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with man's voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.
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and had a rebuke of his own iniquity -- a dumb ass, in man's voice having spoken, did forbid the madness of the prophet.
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 16. - But was rebuked for his iniquity; literally, but had a rebuke for his own transgression. The word for "rebuke" (ἔλεγξιν) Occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The guilt of offering the wages of unrighteousness rested with Balak; Balaam's own transgression lay in his readiness to accept them - in his willingness to break the law of God by cursing, for filthy lucre's sake, those whom God had not cursed. The dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet. The word for "ass" is literally "beast of burden" (ὑποζύγιον, as in Matthew 21:5). "Dumb" is literally "without voice;" naturally without voice, it spake with the voice of man. The word ἐκώλυσεν, rendered "forbade," is rather "checked," or "stayed." The word for "madness" (παραφρονίαν) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The ass checked the prophet's folly by her shrinking from the angel, and by the miracle that followed; the angel, while permitting Balaam to expose himself to the danger into which he had fallen by tempting the Lord, forbade any deviation from the word to be put into his mouth by God. Balaam obeyed in the letter; but afterwards the madness which had been checked for the moment led him into deadly sin (Numbers 31:16). We observe that St. Peter assumes the truthfulness of the narrative in the Book of Numbers (see Mr. Clark's note in the 'Speaker's Commentary' on Numbers 22:28).
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(16) But was rebuked for his iniquity.--Literally, But had a conviction of his own transgression--i.e., was convicted of it, or rebuked for it. His transgression was that, although as a prophet he knew the blessedness of Israel, and although God gave him leave to go only on condition of his blessing Israel, he went still cherishing a hope of being able to curse, and so winning Balak's promised reward.The dumb ass.--Literally, a dumb beast of burden. The same word is rendered "ass" in Matthew 21:5, in the phrase "foal of an ass." In Palestine the ass was the most common beast of burden, horses being rare, so that in most cases "beast of burden" would necessarily mean "ass."Forbad the madness.--Strictly, hindered the madness; and thus the trivial discrepancy which some would urge as existing between this passage and Numbers 22 disappears. It has been objected that not the ass but the angel forbad Balaam from proceeding. But it was the ass which hindered the infatuation of Balaam from hurrying him to his own destruction (Numbers 22:33). The word for "madness" is probably chosen for the sake of alliteration with "prophet"--prophetou paraphronian. It is a very rare formation, perhaps coined by the writer himself.