A subtle piece of self-effacing humour here in that it simultaneously pokes fun at the inability of Catholics to quote chapter and verse, or even get the story quite straight.
Balaam wasn’t riding to town—he was riding to a place that overlooked the Israelite encampment—and there is no book of David, it occurs in the Book of Numbers—about chapter 20 (the beginning of the Balaam incident which runs roughly chapters 20-24, with the exception of him getting whacked in about 32 and making a Cameo in Revelation).
I don’t guarantee chapters, and won’t attempt verses, but am good on the books—good enough to qualify as a Catholic Scripture scholar.
But much of the time, I would prefer to hang out with someone who both knows how to tell a joke and how to take a joke. This is a good joke—enhanced by the book of David and the vague knowledge of Balaam
An unbeatable combination.
(I'm lucky if I understand that it was a joke!)
Regards,
Thanks for the Bible lesson wrapped around an Irish joke. I love Irish jokes because of my personal heritage and this one certainly had me going until the reference to the “Book of David” where I go “WUT????” I knew there was going to be a “riding on his ass” somewhere and I was left wondering where Finnegan was going to pull the reference. Thanks for clearing it all up. I also agree about knowing how to tell and take a good joke.
I took it as being written by an Irish Prod.