Numeri 22:27 (Numbers 22:27)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:27 Cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum, concidit sub pedibus sedentis. qui iratus, vehementius cædebat fuste latera eius.

And when the donkey had seen the angel standing, it collapsed beneath the feet of the one sitting. He, being angry, was striking its sides more violently with a staff.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
3 asina the donkey NOM.SG.F
4 stantem standing PTCP.ACC.SG.M
5 angelum the angel ACC.SG.M
6 concidit collapsed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 sub beneath PREP+ABL
8 pedibus the feet ABL.PL.M
9 sedentis of the one sitting GEN.SG.M
10 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
11 iratus angry NOM.SG.M
12 vehementius more violently ADV.CMPR
13 cædebat was striking 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
14 fuste with a staff ABL.SG.M
15 latera the sides ACC.PL.N
16 eius of it GEN.SG

Syntax

Subordinate Temporal Clause: Cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum — temporal clause introducing the circumstance preceding the donkey’s collapse.

Main Clause: asina (subject) + concidit (main verb).

Prepositional Phrase: sub pedibus sedentis — expresses position beneath the rider’s feet.

Relative Clause: qui iratus vehementius cædebat — describes Balaam’s reaction after the donkey collapsed.

Ablative of Means: fuste — indicates the instrument used for striking.

Direct Object: latera eius — object receiving the action of the beating.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: combines continuation with temporal sequence.
  2. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: expresses completed action prior to the main event.
  3. asina — Lemma: asina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of vidisset and concidit; Translation: “the donkey”; Notes: Balaam’s donkey reacts fearfully to the angel.
  4. stantem — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies angelum; Translation: “standing”; Notes: depicts the angel fixed in position.
  5. angelum — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of vidisset; Translation: “the angel”; Notes: the divine messenger obstructing the road.
  6. concidit — Lemma: concido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “collapsed”; Notes: describes sudden falling down under fear or exhaustion.
  7. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates position beneath; Translation: “beneath”; Notes: expresses location under the rider.
  8. pedibus — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of sub; Translation: “the feet”; Notes: refers to Balaam’s feet while seated on the donkey.
  9. sedentis — Lemma: sedeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies implied possessor of pedibus; Translation: “of the one sitting”; Notes: refers to Balaam seated upon the donkey.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of cædebat; Translation: “who”; Notes: refers back to Balaam.
  11. iratus — Lemma: iratus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive degree; Function: predicate adjective describing qui; Translation: “angry”; Notes: describes Balaam’s emotional state.
  12. vehementius — Lemma: vehementer; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: comparative degree; Function: modifies cædebat; Translation: “more violently”; Notes: comparative form intensifies the severity of the beating.
  13. cædebat — Lemma: cædo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “was striking”; Notes: imperfect tense portrays repeated blows.
  14. fuste — Lemma: fustis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with a staff”; Notes: indicates the instrument used for beating.
  15. latera — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of cædebat; Translation: “the sides”; Notes: refers to the donkey’s flanks.
  16. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier of latera; Translation: “of it”; Notes: refers to the donkey being beaten.

 

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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