Numeri 23:12 (Numbers 23:12)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:12 Cui ille respondit: Num aliud possum loqui, nisi quod iusserit Dominus?

To whom he responded: “Am I able to speak anything else, except what the LORD shall command?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.REL.PRON
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
3 respondit responded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Num whether ADV
5 aliud anything else ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
6 possum am able 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 loqui to speak PRES.DEP.INF
8 nisi except CONJ
9 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL.PRON
10 iusserit shall command 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
11 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Cui ille respondit introduces Balaam’s reply to Balac, with Cui referring back to Balac.

Rhetorical Question: Num aliud possum loqui forms a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, emphasizing Balaam’s inability to speak independently.

Infinitive Construction: loqui functions as the complementary infinitive dependent on possum.

Exception Clause: nisi quod iusserit Dominus limits Balaam’s speech strictly to what the LORD commands.

Relative Clause: quod iusserit Dominus functions substantivally as the content of Balaam’s permitted speech.

Subject-Verb Order: Dominus follows iusserit, a common arrangement in elevated or poetic Latin style.

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of respondit; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: The pronoun refers back to Balac as the recipient of Balaam’s reply.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: The demonstrative points emphatically to Balaam as the speaker.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “responded”; Notes: The perfect tense introduces Balaam’s completed verbal response.
  4. Num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: indeclinable particle; Function: introduces a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer; Translation: “whether”; Notes: The particle gives the question a tone of impossibility or denial.
  5. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of loqui; Translation: “anything else”; Notes: The neuter form refers generally to any alternative message.
  6. possum — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of the rhetorical question; Translation: “am able”; Notes: The verb expresses capability or authority, both denied here apart from divine command.
  7. loqui — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present deponent infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on possum; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: Although passive in form, the infinitive has active meaning because loquor is deponent.
  8. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces the exception clause; Translation: “except”; Notes: The conjunction sharply limits Balaam’s speech to divine instruction.
  9. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of iusserit and substantive content of the clause; Translation: “what”; Notes: The pronoun refers to the exact message commanded by the LORD.
  10. iusserit — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the exception clause; Translation: “shall command”; Notes: The future perfect emphasizes prior completion of the LORD’s command before Balaam speaks.
  11. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject of iusserit; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: In this context Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”

 

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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