Numeri 22:24 (Numbers 22:24)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:24 stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum, quibus vineæ cingebantur.

the angel stood in the narrow place of two walls, by which the vineyards were enclosed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 stetit stood 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 angelus the angel NOM.SG.M
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 angustiis the narrow places ABL.PL.F
5 duarum of two GEN.PL.F
6 maceriarum walls GEN.PL.F
7 quibus by which ABL.PL.F.REL
8 vineæ vineyards NOM.PL.F
9 cingebantur were enclosed 3PL.IMP.PASS.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: angelus (subject) + stetit (main verb).

Prepositional Phrase: in angustiis duarum maceriarum — expresses location within a confined passage between two walls.

Relative Clause: quibus vineæ cingebantur — modifies maceriarum, describing the walls surrounding the vineyards.

Subject of Relative Clause: vineæ with passive verb cingebantur.

Morphology

  1. stetit — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the sentence; Translation: “stood”; Notes: describes a completed act of taking position.
  2. angelus — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of stetit; Translation: “the angel”; Notes: refers to the divine messenger obstructing Balaam’s path.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locational phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: indicates fixed position within a place.
  4. angustiis — Lemma: angustia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “the narrow places”; Notes: refers to a confined or tight passageway.
  5. duarum — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies maceriarum; Translation: “of two”; Notes: specifies the number of walls enclosing the path.
  6. maceriarum — Lemma: maceria; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: dependent genitive with angustiis; Translation: “walls”; Notes: refers to stone walls or boundary structures.
  7. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of means or instrument in the relative clause; Translation: “by which”; Notes: refers back to the walls surrounding the vineyards.
  8. vineæ — Lemma: vinea; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of cingebantur; Translation: “vineyards”; Notes: refers to cultivated grape-growing areas.
  9. cingebantur — Lemma: cingo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect passive indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “were enclosed”; Notes: imperfect passive portrays the vineyards as continually surrounded by the walls.

 

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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