Numeri 22:31 (Numbers 22:31)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:31 Protinus aperuit Dominus oculos Balaam, et vidit angelum stantem in via evaginato gladio, adoravitque eum pronus in terram.

Immediately the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel standing in the way with drawn sword, and he bowed down to him prone upon the ground.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Protinus immediately ADV
2 aperuit opened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
4 oculos the eyes ACC.PL.M
5 Balaam of Balaam INDECL
6 et and CONJ
7 vidit he saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 angelum the angel ACC.SG.M
9 stantem standing PTCP.ACC.SG.M
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 via the way ABL.SG.F
12 evaginato having been drawn PTCP.ABL.SG.M
13 gladio with sword ABL.SG.M
14 adoravitque and bowed down 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 eum to him ACC.SG.M.PERS
16 pronus prone NOM.SG.M
17 in upon PREP+ACC
18 terram the ground ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (subject) + aperuit (main verb) + oculos Balaam (direct object with dependent proper noun).

Coordinate Clause: et vidit angelum stantem in via — coordinated narrative clause describing Balaam’s new perception.

Participial Phrase: stantem in via — modifies angelum, describing the angel’s position.

Ablative Absolute: evaginato gladio — circumstantial phrase describing the angel with unsheathed sword.

Final Coordinate Clause: adoravitque eum — describes Balaam’s response of reverence.

Predicate Adjective Phrase: pronus in terram — describes Balaam’s physical posture while bowing.

Morphology

  1. Protinus — Lemma: protinus; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies aperuit; Translation: “immediately”; Notes: emphasizes sudden divine action.
  2. aperuit — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “opened”; Notes: refers to supernatural enabling of sight.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of aperuit; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH acting directly.
  4. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of aperuit; Translation: “the eyes”; Notes: metaphorically includes spiritual perception.
  5. Balaam — Lemma: Balaam; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive sense with oculos; Translation: “of Balaam”; Notes: identifies whose eyes were opened.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins narrative clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: links divine action with Balaam’s response.
  7. vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of coordinate clause; Translation: “he saw”; Notes: indicates completed act of perception.
  8. angelum — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of vidit; Translation: “the angel”; Notes: the divine messenger blocking the road.
  9. 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.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locational phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: expresses location.
  11. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “the way”; Notes: refers to the roadway Balaam travelled.
  12. evaginato — Lemma: evagino; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative singular masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having been drawn”; Notes: describes the sword already unsheathed.
  13. gladio — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: completes ablative absolute; Translation: “with sword”; Notes: symbolizes imminent judgment.
  14. adoravitque — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb of final coordinate clause; Translation: “and bowed down”; Notes: expresses reverence and submission.
  15. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of adoravitque; Translation: “to him”; Notes: refers to the angel receiving homage.
  16. pronus — Lemma: pronus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive degree; Function: predicate adjective describing Balaam; Translation: “prone”; Notes: describes full bodily prostration.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction toward surface; Translation: “upon”; Notes: expresses motion toward the ground.
  18. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “the ground”; Notes: emphasizes complete humility before the angel.

 

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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