John Gill Commentary Numbers 22:32

"And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me:" — Numbers 22:32 (ASV)

And the angel of the Lord said to him
When risen up, and standing before him:

Why have you smitten your ass these three times ?
the brute creatures are not to be beaten without cause, nor to be misused and abused by men, even their owners:

Behold, I went out to withstand you ;
the ass was not to be blamed, nor to be beaten for turning aside, or lying down, it was I that stood in the way, and hindered its going forward, and this was done by me on purpose to oppose and stop you:

Because your way is perverse before me ;
the journey he took was not with his good liking and approbation, and especially seeing he went with an intention, if possible, to serve Balak, and curse Israel; the way of his heart was bad, which the Lord knew; it was not directed according to his will, but swerved from it; the Targum of Jonathan is, "it is manifest before me that you seek to go and curse the people, and the thing is not agreeable to me."