Numbers 22:24-25

What does God do? His first attempt to get Balaam's attention failed—not with the donkey, but with Balaam. He was totally oblivious to what was going on. So God narrows him in. We call it "hedging him in." The path that Balaam was taking led exactly between two hedges or walls (as it is called here). There was enough room though for the donkey to turn aside. And that's what she did. She turned away, but in turning away Balaam's foot got crushed against the wall. He got physically hurt.

God probably thought that maybe a little pain would help him come to his senses. And so he got his foot crushed against the wall.

But, Balaam doesn't think about God at all. He thinks, "You stupid donkey! Why did you do that to me?" He didn't say anything at this point. Maybe he curses in Mesopotamian, and beats the donkey. "He struck her," it says. But, his injury doesn't make him consider at all that maybe God is trying to get his attention. It doesn't faze him. It never comes into his mind that God may be trying to tell him something.

He takes all his pain and rage out on this poor innocent donkey that was only trying to obey God.