Numeri 24:18 (Numbers 24:18)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:18 Et erit Idumæa possessio eius: hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Israel vero fortiter aget.

And Idumæa will become his possession; the inheritance of Seir will yield to his enemies; but Israel will act with strength.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 erit will become 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 Idumæa Edom NOM.SG.F
4 possessio possession NOM.SG.F
5 eius his GEN.SG.M.POSS
6 hereditas inheritance NOM.SG.F
7 Seir Seir GEN.SG.M
8 cedet will yield 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 inimicis to the enemies DAT.PL.M
10 suis his DAT.PL.M.POSS
11 Israel Israel NOM.SG.M
12 vero but ADV
13 fortiter with strength ADV
14 aget will act 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Et erit Idumæa possessio eius predicts the future subjugation of Idumæa under the coming ruler.

Predicate Construction: possessio eius functions as the predicate nominative describing what Idumæa will become.

Second Main Clause: hereditas Seir cedet inimicis suis foretells the yielding or surrender of Seir’s inheritance.

Dative Phrase: inimicis suis identifies those to whom the inheritance will yield.

Contrastive Clause: Israel vero fortiter aget contrasts Israel’s strength and victorious action with the downfall of surrounding nations.

Adverbial Modifier: fortiter modifies aget, emphasizing power and effectiveness.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects the prophecy with the previous oracle; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of prophetic declarations.
  2. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of first clause; Translation: “will become”; Notes: Indicates future condition or state.
  3. Idumæa — Lemma: Idumæa; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine first declension; Function: Subject of erit; Translation: “Idumæa”; Notes: Refers to the land of Edom.
  4. possessio — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: Predicate nominative with erit; Translation: “possession”; Notes: Indicates conquest and ownership.
  5. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of possessio; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the future ruler arising from Israel.
  6. hereditas — Lemma: hereditas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: Subject of cedet; Translation: “inheritance”; Notes: Refers to territory or inherited possession.
  7. Seir — Lemma: Seir; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Genitive modifier of hereditas; Translation: “Seir”; Notes: Refers to the mountainous region associated with Edom.
  8. cedet — Lemma: cedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “will yield”; Notes: Expresses surrender, retreat, or submission.
  9. inimicis — Lemma: inimicus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine second declension; Function: Indirect object of cedet; Translation: “to the enemies”; Notes: Refers to opposing forces overcoming Seir.
  10. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine positive degree; Function: Modifies inimicis; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to the future ruler or Israel.
  11. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Subject of aget; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant nation acting victoriously.
  12. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adversative adverb; Function: Introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Contrasts Israel’s success with Edom’s downfall.
  13. fortiter — Lemma: fortiter; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Modifies aget; Translation: “with strength”; Notes: Describes vigorous and courageous action.
  14. aget — Lemma: ago; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of contrastive clause; Translation: “will act”; Notes: Expresses energetic and forceful accomplishment.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.