Articles
- Impact of the Bible
- The cultural influence of the Bible and Christianity in England
- Bible in English culture, The
- English Bible Translations
- Influence of the Book of Common Prayer on the English language
- A history of the church in England
- Culture and sung Christian worship
- Famous stories from the Bible
- Literary titles from the Bible
- Common Sayings from the Bible
- Big ideas from the Bible
- Adoption
- Angels
- Anger
- Anointing
- Apocalypse, Revelation, the End Times, the Second Coming
- Armour
- Ascent and descent
- Atonement and sacrifice
- Babel, language and comprehension
- Baptism
- Betrayal
- Blood
- Bread
- Bride and marriage
- Cain and Abel
- Christians
- City and countryside
- Cleansing
- Clothing
- Community, church, the body of Christ
- Covenant
- Creation, creativity, image of God
- Cross, crucifixion
- Curtain/veil
- Darkness
- Death and resurrection
- Desert and wilderness
- Devils
- Donkey, ass
- Doubt and faith
- Dove
- Dreams, visions and prophecy
- Earth, clay, dust
- Exile
- Feasting and fasting
- Fire
- Forgiveness, mercy and grace
- Fruit, pruning
- Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, 'Second Adam'
- Gateway, door
- Goats
- Grass and wild flowers
- Harvesting
- Heaven
- Hell
- Incarnation (nativity)
- Inheritance and heirs
- Jewels and precious metals
- Jews, Hebrews, Children of Israel, Israelites
- Journey of faith, Exodus, pilgrims and sojourners
- Judgement
- Justice
- Kingship
- Last Supper, communion, eucharist, mass
- Light
- Lion
- Lost, seeking, finding, rescue
- Messiah, Christ, Jesus
- Miracles
- Mission, evangelism, conversion
- Moses
- Music
- Names
- Noah and the flood
- Numbers in the Bible
- Parables
- Parents and children
- Passover
- Path, way
- Patriarchs
- Peace
- Penitence, repentance, penance
- Poverty and wealth
- Prayer
- Promised Land, Diaspora, Zionism
- Psalms
- Rabbi, Pharisee, teacher of the law
- Redemption, salvation
- Rest
- Rock and stone
- Salt
- Seed, sowing
- Serpent, Devil, Satan, Beast
- Servant-hood, obedience and authority
- Sheep, shepherd and lamb
- Sin
- Slavery
- Soul
- Temple, tabernacle
- Temptation
- Ten Commandments, The
- Trees
- Trinity, Holy Spirit
- Vine, vineyard
- Water
- Weeds, chaff, briar, thorn
- Wisdom and foolishness
- Women in the Bible
- Word of God
- Work and idleness
- Investigating the Bible
- Literary allusions to the Bible
- Pilgrimage in literature
- Biblical style in poetry
- Biblical imagery in metaphysical poetry
- Bible/Literature intertextuality
- The cultural influence of the Bible and Christianity in England
Donkey, ass
Wild donkeys or asses were commonly domesticated in Bible times since they were strong, if stubborn, beasts of burden. Consequently, they are often mentioned in the Bible. ‘Springs… give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst' (Psalms 104:11).
The story of Balaam's ass
The most dramatic story in the Old Testament involving a donkey is that of Balaam, a man who was alleged to have supernatural powers. The King of Midian asked Balaam to curse his neighbours, the Israelites, who were taking possession of nearby territories. When Balaam and his donkey set out to do this, an angel appeared on the road, sent by God to stop him. Balaam could not see the angel, but his donkey could. Scared by the angel, the donkey turned off the road, and Balaam beat her. The next time the donkey saw the angel, in a narrow path between vineyards, she started, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall, and so, was beaten again. The third time the angel appeared, the donkey lay down! When Balaam started to beat her again, the donkey spoke. ‘What have I done to make you beat me three times?' asked the donkey. Then Balaam's eyes were opened and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword. Consequently, Balaam blessed the Israelites as God directed him to do, much to the King of Midian's anger (Numbers 22:1-6; Numbers 22:21-35; Numbers 23:11-12).
Donkeys and the nativity
A donkey or ass can be found in many pictures of the nativity (birth of Jesus) although its presence is not actually recorded in the New Testament accounts. However, it may have been assumed that a donkey was there because Luke's account of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:4-7), tells of how Mary, who was heavily pregnant, had to travel with Joseph (the carpenter) to Bethlehem for the census. She probably travelled on a donkey. It also seems likely that later, when Joseph had to flee to Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus to escape King Herod's murderous intentions (Matthew 2:13-14), mother and baby would have ridden on their donkey.
In addition, the presence of an ass, together with an ox, which has also been commonly included in nativity scenes, was regarded as fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, specifically, ‘The ox hath known his owner, and the ass his master's crib' (Isaiah 1:3). When the baby, Jesus, was born, the New Testament accounts mention that Mary wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Consequently, many artists show the nativity scene in a stable, with the donkey and other animals nearby.
Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey
Jesus' use of a donkey to ride into Jerusalem, a week before his crucifixion, had particular symbolic significance. As Jesus rode into the city, people welcomed him with loud shouts and waved palm branches. To ride on a donkey signified coming in peace, whereas many of Jesus' followers had hoped that he would lead them to overcome the Romans and liberate them from their occupation (Luke 24:19-21). This symbolic event served to reinforce what Jesus had told his disciples:
Moreover, this entry of Jesus into Jerusalem fulfilled one of the prophecies about the coming Messiah found in the Old Testament:
This prophecy was believed to have been very precisely fulfilled, since Jesus had sent two of his disciples to borrow a donkey and her unbroken colt for him to ride upon (Matthew 21:1-3).
The donkey in literature
G K Chesterton, in his poem The Donkey, evokes both the donkey's lowly status and its special moment as it carried Jesus into Jerusalem.
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
Related topics
Big ideas: Messiah, Christ, Jesus
Other cultural references
Chesterton's The Donkey
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
Recently Viewed
-
Donkeys in literature, art and the Bible
now -
Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea - further reading and resources
3 minutes ago -
Great Expectations » Chapter 10 (Volume 1, Chapter 10) (Instalment 6):
32 minutes ago -
Doctor Faustus » Scene seven, version B
36 minutes ago -
A-Z: Common sayings from the Bible » Butter someone up
50 minutes ago -
A-Z: Famous stories from the Bible » Jacob wrestles till dawn and is named Israel
56 minutes ago -
Great Expectations » Chapter 44 (Volume 3, Chapter 5) (Instalment 27):
59 minutes ago -
A-Z: Common sayings from the Bible » Broad way
1 hour ago
Scan and go
Scan on your mobile for direct link.