Numeri 22:38 (Numbers 22:38)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:38 Cui ille respondit: Ecce adsum: numquid loqui potero aliud, nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo?

To whom he answered: “Behold, I am here. Shall I be able to speak anything else except what God shall place in my mouth?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.M.REL
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM
3 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Ecce behold INTJ
5 adsum I am here 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 numquid surely not ADV.INT
7 loqui to speak PRES.ACT.INF
8 potero shall I be able 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 aliud anything else ACC.SG.N
10 nisi except CONJ
11 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL
12 Deus God NOM.SG.M
13 posuerit shall place 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 ore the mouth ABL.SG.N
16 meo my ABL.SG.N.POSS

Syntax

Introductory Phrase: Cui ille respondit — narrative introduction indicating Balaam’s reply to Balac.

Exclamatory Clause: Ecce adsum — emphatic declaration of Balaam’s presence.

Direct Question: numquid loqui potero aliud — rhetorical question implying inability to speak independently.

Infinitival Construction: loqui potero — complementary infinitive dependent on future verb of ability.

Exceptional Clause: nisi quod Deus posuerit in ore meo — restrictive clause limiting Balaam’s speech to divine words.

Prepositional Phrase: in ore meo — locational metaphor describing speech placed by God.

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of respondit; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: refers back to Balac.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: refers emphatically to Balaam.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb introducing speech; Translation: “answered”; Notes: introduces Balaam’s formal reply.
  4. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: introduces emphatic statement; Translation: “behold”; Notes: draws attention to Balaam’s presence.
  5. adsum — Lemma: adsum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of exclamatory clause; Translation: “I am here”; Notes: expresses physical presence and readiness.
  6. numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces rhetorical question expecting negative answer; Translation: “surely not”; Notes: implies denial of independent ability.
  7. loqui — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present deponent infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on potero; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  8. potero — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of direct question; Translation: “shall I be able”; Notes: expresses future capacity or authority.
  9. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of loqui; Translation: “anything else”; Notes: refers to speech outside divine command.
  10. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces exception clause; Translation: “except”; Notes: restricts Balaam’s speech.
  11. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of posuerit; Translation: “what”; Notes: refers to the words God determines.
  12. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of posuerit; Translation: “God”; Notes: the divine authority controlling Balaam’s speech.
  13. posuerit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of exception clause; Translation: “shall place”; Notes: expresses action completed prior to Balaam’s speaking.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locational phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: metaphorically describes inspired speech.
  15. ore — Lemma: os; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “the mouth”; Notes: symbolic location of spoken words.
  16. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter positive degree; Function: modifies ore; Translation: “my”; Notes: identifies Balaam as the speaker controlled by divine instruction.

 

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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