But God’s anger was kindled: But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”), since it introduces a contrast here with God’s consent for Balaam to go to Moab in verse 20. Another possible contrastive connector is “Nevertheless.” Instead of God’s anger, which follows the Hebrew text, New Jerusalem Bible has “Yahweh’s anger.” We recommend the reading with God (so also Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). There is notable variation between the divine names in this chapter, and it is important for translators to reproduce this, if possible (see the comments on verse 8). For the figurative Hebrew expression rendered anger was kindled (literally “nose/anger burned”), see the comments on 11.1.

Because he went gives the reason why God was angry. Instead of the conjunction because, which renders the Hebrew particle ki, a few translations use the connector “when” (New International Version, NBG, WV, NAV) or “as” (Ashley). However, by saying “when he went” (New International Version), the apparent contradiction with God’s consent in verse 20 is perhaps not as strong. Good News Bible makes explicit that the pronoun he refers to “Balaam,” which is helpful, especially at the beginning of a new section. New Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible render went as “was going,” which expresses more accurately the continuous aspect of the Hebrew participle here.

And the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary: The Hebrew word for angel is literally “messenger” (Buber; see the comments on 20.16). In Hebrew there is no distinction between the angel of the LORD and “an angel of the LORD” (New Jewish Publication Society Version). As A Handbook on Genesis at Gen 16.7 explains, the angel of the LORD refers to a visible appearance of God as an angel. Good News Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Dutch Common Language Version say “the angel of the LORD” here, but then change this to “the angel” in verse 23. Since this phrase refers to a unique manifestation of God, it seems better to say “the angel of the LORD” in verse 23 and elsewhere in this section (so New Living Translation, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The narrative repetition of this full expression highlights the importance of the divine person in view here, or at least being represented in this angelic being. Took his stand in the road as his adversary means the angel intentionally blocked Balaam’s path. The Hebrew verb here refers to a deliberate action of standing. Contemporary English Version says “stood in the road to stop him.” (Perhaps ironically, the Hebrew noun for adversary (satan) is the same one used for “Satan” in Job 1.6.)

Now he was riding on the ass, and his two servants were with him renders a circumstantial (background) sentence in Hebrew. Now renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”) here to indicate this. Was riding expresses accurately the continuous aspect of the Hebrew participle here. For the Hebrew word rendered ass, see the previous verse. As noted there, this word refers to a female donkey, but the gender of this animal does not seem to be important for the Balaam narrative. In languages that do not make a distinction between male and female donkeys, it may be possible to use feminine pronouns to refer to this donkey (for example, “her” in verse 23). The translation of and his two servants were with him should not imply that these two servants were also riding on Balaam’s donkey. They were probably walking along behind it. The Hebrew term for servants is not the same one used in verse 18. The word here can mean “young men” or “male servants.” The later sense is in view here.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .