Numeri 24:17 (Numbers 24:17)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:17 Videbo eum, sed non modo: intuebor illum, sed non prope. ORIETUR STELLA ex Iacob, et consurget virga de Israel: et percutiet duces Moab, vastabitque omnes filios Seth.

I will see him, but not now; I will behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL ARISE from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel; and it shall strike the leaders of Moab, and it shall destroy all the sons of Seth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Videbo I will see 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 eum him ACC.SG.M
3 sed but CONJ
4 non not ADV
5 modo now ADV
6 intuebor I will behold 1SG.FUT.DEP.IND
7 illum him ACC.SG.M.DEM
8 sed but CONJ
9 non not ADV
10 prope near ADV
11 ORIETUR SHALL ARISE 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
12 STELLA STAR NOM.SG.F
13 ex from PREP+ABL
14 Iacob Jacob ABL.SG.M
15 et and CONJ
16 consurget shall rise 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 virga scepter NOM.SG.F
18 de from PREP+ABL
19 Israel Israel ABL.SG.M
20 et and CONJ
21 percutiet it shall strike 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
22 duces leaders ACC.PL.M
23 Moab Moab GEN.SG.M
24 vastabitque and it shall destroy 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
25 omnes all ACC.PL.M.POS
26 filios sons ACC.PL.M
27 Seth Sheth GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Prophetic Clause: Videbo eum, sed non modo expresses future vision deferred to a later time.

Parallel Clause: intuebor illum, sed non prope reinforces prophetic expectation while emphasizing distance in fulfillment.

Contrastive Particles: sed non modo and sed non prope establish temporal and spatial remoteness.

Messianic Declaration: ORIETUR STELLA ex Iacob presents the image of a rising star emerging from Iacob.

Coordinated Royal Clause: et consurget virga de Israel parallels the star imagery with the rise of royal authority.

Military Clause: et percutiet duces Moab predicts conquest over Moabite leadership.

Coordinated Destruction Clause: vastabitque omnes filios Seth expands the judgment imagery to broader destruction.

Prepositional Phrases: ex Iacob and de Israel identify the origin of the prophetic ruler.

Morphology

  1. Videbo — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of prophetic declaration; Translation: “I will see”; Notes: Expresses future prophetic perception.
  2. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of Videbo; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the future ruler or figure foreseen.
  3. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Contrasts vision with delayed fulfillment.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Negates modo; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies immediacy.
  5. modo — Lemma: modo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Temporal modifier; Translation: “now”; Notes: Indicates present time.
  6. intuebor — Lemma: intueor; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person singular future deponent indicative; Function: Main verb of parallel clause; Translation: “I will behold”; Notes: The deponent form carries active meaning of careful contemplation.
  7. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of intuebor; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers emphatically to the same future figure.
  8. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces second contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Continues the theme of delayed fulfillment.
  9. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Negates prope; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies nearness.
  10. prope — Lemma: prope; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Spatial modifier; Translation: “near”; Notes: Indicates distant fulfillment.
  11. ORIETUR — Lemma: orior; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future deponent indicative; Function: Main verb of messianic declaration; Translation: “SHALL ARISE”; Notes: The deponent verb expresses emergence or rising with prophetic grandeur.
  12. STELLA — Lemma: stella; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine first declension; Function: Subject of ORIETUR; Translation: “STAR”; Notes: Symbolizes royal or messianic authority and divine guidance.
  13. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin or emergence.
  14. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Object of ex; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Refers to the patriarchal people of Israel.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects parallel royal imagery; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the star and scepter motifs.
  16. consurget — Lemma: consurgo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of coordinated clause; Translation: “shall rise”; Notes: Expresses emergence of authority and dominion.
  17. virga — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine first declension; Function: Subject of consurget; Translation: “scepter”; Notes: Symbolizes kingship, rule, and governing power.
  18. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin from Israel.
  19. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Object of de; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant nation.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects royal emergence with military action; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues prophetic sequence.
  21. percutiet — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of conquest clause; Translation: “it shall strike”; Notes: Indicates decisive military judgment.
  22. duces — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine third declension; Function: Direct object of percutiet; Translation: “leaders”; Notes: Refers to rulers or chiefs of Moab.
  23. Moab — Lemma: Moab; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Genitive modifier of duces; Translation: “Moab”; Notes: Identifies the nation under judgment.
  24. vastabitque — Lemma: vasto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative with enclitic conjunction; Function: Main verb of coordinated destruction clause; Translation: “and it shall destroy”; Notes: The enclitic -que closely links this judgment with the previous action.
  25. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine positive degree; Function: Modifies filios; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes completeness of judgment.
  26. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine second declension; Function: Direct object of vastabitque; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to descendants or people groups.
  27. Seth — Lemma: Seth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Genitive modifier of filios; Translation: “Seth”; Notes: Refers to the descendants or associated peoples linked with Seth.

 

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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