Donkeys who can speak are less of a surprise than a Seer who cannot see.

Balaam’s donkey not only refused to cross the angel’s path, she began to speak, protesting Balaam’s harsh treatment. Balaam retorts that had he possessed a sword he would kill the animal. There is irony in this response; the prophet set to destroy an entire nation with words could not control one relatively harmless animal. It is the angel in the story who possesses the sword, and it is the angel who poses a threat.

In 1626, Rembrandt painted Balaam and his donkey in all of its violence and force. One of his earliest paintings, Rembrandt’s colors are brighter than in his later works. By choosing a vertical composition, the artist brings the characters nearer each other and closer, in perception, to the viewer, creating greater dynamism and tension. Our eyes travel from the left hand corner with the angel’s blunt sword to the golden hue of Balaam’s left foot. The donkey is not looking at the angel but staring with pleading eyes at his cruel and blind master.

Balaam’s raised arm is tensed and muscular as his right hand tightens the reins on his poor, suffering beast. Enhancing the vertical flow, Balaam pulls the stick from a satchel holding maps. This, too, adds a touch of irony. The donkey knows his way and should be his guide, but Balaam did not trust the donkey. He needed maps which remain unopened and useless in the current circumstances. In the background we find Moabite delegates staring blankly at the events unfolding before them. What was a royal mission has turned into a dangerous confrontation. The animal’s front leg is again bent unnaturally – in contrast to the calm horse and rider behind Balaam who do not know what was happening – but this time it is to stop his master. The donkey’s mouth is open and he is about to speak, in the painting as well as in the text.

Balaam wears the regalia that we have come to expect of one of Rembrandt’s biblical characters. His clothing is aflame in gold and crimson, the colors of his fiery anger. The dark sockets of his eyes give the impression of blindness and in this painting the vision is amiss. No one looks at another. No one makes eye contact. The eyes of all are still veiled. Rembrandt’s message is clear. Donkeys who can speak are less of a surprise than a Seer who cannot see.