Numeri 24:16 (Numbers 24:16)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:16 dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet oculos.

He said, the hearer of the words of God, who knows the teaching of the Most High, and sees the visions of the Omnipotent, who falling down has open eyes.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 auditor hearer NOM.SG.M
3 sermonum of the words GEN.PL.M
4 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
5 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
6 novit knows 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 doctrinam teaching ACC.SG.F
8 Altissimi of the Most High GEN.SG.M.SUPER
9 et and CONJ
10 visiones visions ACC.PL.F
11 Omnipotentis of the Omnipotent GEN.SG.M
12 videt sees 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
14 cadens falling NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
15 apertos open ACC.PL.M.POS
16 habet has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Prophetic Formula: dixit auditor sermonum Dei forms a solemn declaration identifying Balaam as the hearer of divine words.

Genitive Construction: sermonum Dei specifies the source and content of the words heard.

Relative Clause: qui novit doctrinam Altissimi modifies auditor, describing knowledge received from the Most High.

Coordinated Clause: et visiones Omnipotentis videt adds visionary perception alongside auditory revelation.

Object Phrase: visiones Omnipotentis functions as the direct object of videt.

Final Relative Clause: qui cadens apertos habet oculos portrays Balaam in a prophetic state of collapse yet spiritual perception.

Participial Construction: cadens functions circumstantially, describing the condition accompanying visionary sight.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: Main introductory verb of prophetic declaration; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces the formal prophetic self-description.
  2. auditor — Lemma: auditor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine third declension; Function: Predicate identifier of the speaker; Translation: “hearer”; Notes: Emphasizes receptive access to divine revelation.
  3. sermonum — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine third declension; Function: Genitive modifier of auditor; Translation: “of the words”; Notes: Refers to divine utterances or revelations.
  4. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine second declension; Function: Genitive modifier of sermonum; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Identifies the source of the revealed words.
  5. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Introduces relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to the prophetic speaker.
  6. novit — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative with present meaning; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “knows”; Notes: The perfect form carries a present-state meaning of acquired knowledge.
  7. doctrinam — Lemma: doctrina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: Direct object of novit; Translation: “teaching”; Notes: Refers to divine instruction or revealed knowledge.
  8. Altissimi — Lemma: Altissimus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantivally; Form: Genitive singular masculine superlative degree; Function: Genitive modifier of doctrinam; Translation: “of the Most High”; Notes: A divine title emphasizing supreme exaltation.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects parallel prophetic descriptions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins auditory and visionary revelation.
  10. visiones — Lemma: visio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine third declension; Function: Direct object of videt; Translation: “visions”; Notes: Refers to prophetic revelations seen visually.
  11. Omnipotentis — Lemma: Omnipotens; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantivally; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive modifier of visiones; Translation: “of the Omnipotent”; Notes: Divine title emphasizing unlimited power.
  12. videt — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Main verb of coordinated clause; Translation: “sees”; Notes: Expresses ongoing visionary perception.
  13. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Introduces final relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers again to the prophetic speaker.
  14. cadens — Lemma: cado; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: Circumstantial participle modifying the speaker; Translation: “falling”; Notes: Describes the physical condition accompanying prophetic ecstasy.
  15. apertos — Lemma: apertus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine positive degree; Function: Modifies oculos; Translation: “open”; Notes: Symbolizes spiritual perception and revelation.
  16. habet — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Main verb of final clause; Translation: “has”; Notes: Indicates possession or maintained condition.
  17. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine second declension; Function: Direct object of habet; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Represents prophetic insight and visionary awareness.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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