Numbers 22
Balaam and the Angel in Biblical Art
Balaam and the angel gives artists a strange and memorable scene of blocked ambition, hidden danger, and opened eyes.
Bible and Art Context
Numbers 22 shows Balaam traveling with mixed motives while his donkey sees the angel of the Lord before he does. The story humbles human spiritual confidence by making the animal perceive what the prophet misses.
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Balaam and the Angel
Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert, 1554, Engraving
Coornhert gives the strange Numbers scene a moral edge: Balaam presses forward until God opens his eyes to the danger ahead.
Source: The Met Open AccessQuestions about Balaam and the Angel in Art
Where is Balaam and the donkey in the Bible?
Balaam and the donkey appear in Numbers 22.
Why does the donkey matter in the story?
The donkey sees the angel before Balaam does, exposing Balaam's blindness and God's control over the journey.