But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
The prophet rebuked is Balaam the son of Bosor, on his ride to Moab to secure Balak's reward, pressing eagerly forward for coveted gain even while God opposed his perverse way. His madness was covetous determination and blind rage, so that he could not see the angel of the Lord standing with drawn sword to slay him while his donkey saw the angel and turned aside three times. He beat the animal cruelly to force it on, but was checked when God gave the donkey human speech to ask why it had been struck three times.
That speech restrained his insane fury and exposed that a professed seer on his way to curse a whole people could not discern heavenly interposition visible to his beast and had no power even to kill the animal he rode. He owed his life to the abused animal, because the angel would have slain him had she not turned away. Driven by covetousness for the reward, his course included plotting to draw Israel into idolatry and sexual sin, knowing that Israel's prosperity depended on obeying God's law and that transgression would bring a curse.
He stands as the pattern of present false teachers who have forsaken the right way and gone astray following his way in loving the wages of unrighteousness. That means covetous, licentious pretenders who profess to be reformers and followers of Christ while practicing adultery and impurity, beguiling unstable souls, sporting in deceit, and making merchandise of people with feigned words. By such iniquitous works they deny Christ, bring reproach so that the truth is evil spoken of, and come under strong delusion and certain judgment. The verse belongs to the warning in 2 Peter 2 and 3 about men who caused much trouble in the early church. The same conditions must be met today, so all must be on guard against men who refuse to give up wrong opinions, think their judgment infallible, spoil the church through their own plans, and bring strange confusing sophistries that would injure God's work.
The prophet rebuked is Balaam the son of Bosor, on his ride to Moab to secure Balak's reward, pressing eagerly forward for coveted gain even while God opposed his perverse way. His madness was covetous determination and blind rage, so that he could not see the angel of the Lord standing with drawn sword to slay him while his donkey saw the angel and turned aside three times. He beat the animal cruelly to force it on, but was checked when God gave the donkey human speech to ask why it had been struck three times.
That speech restrained his insane fury and exposed that a professed seer on his way to curse a whole people could not discern heavenly interposition visible to his beast and had no power even to kill the animal he rode. He owed his life to the abused animal, because the angel would have slain him had she not turned away. Driven by covetousness for the reward, his course included plotting to draw Israel into idolatry and sexual sin, knowing that Israel's prosperity depended on obeying God's law and that transgression would bring a curse.
He stands as the pattern of present false teachers who have forsaken the right way and gone astray following his way in loving the wages of unrighteousness. That means covetous, licentious pretenders who profess to be reformers and followers of Christ while practicing adultery and impurity, beguiling unstable souls, sporting in deceit, and making merchandise of people with feigned words. By such iniquitous works they deny Christ, bring reproach so that the truth is evil spoken of, and come under strong delusion and certain judgment. The verse belongs to the warning in 2 Peter 2 and 3 about men who caused much trouble in the early church. The same conditions must be met today, so all must be on guard against men who refuse to give up wrong opinions, think their judgment infallible, spoil the church through their own plans, and bring strange confusing sophistries that would injure God's work.