Numeri 23:14 (Numbers 23:14)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:14 Cumque duxisset eum in locum sublimem, super verticem montis Phasga, ædificavit Balaam septem aras, et impositis supra vitulo atque ariete,

And when he had led him into a high place, upon the summit of mount Phasga, Balaam built seven altars, and with a calf and a ram having been placed upon them,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 duxisset he had led 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
3 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON
4 in into PREP+ACC
5 locum place ACC.SG.M.2ND DECL
6 sublimem high ACC.SG.M.POS.ADJ
7 super upon PREP+ACC
8 verticem summit ACC.SG.M.3RD DECL
9 montis of the mountain GEN.SG.M.3RD DECL
10 Phasga Phasga GEN.SG.F.INDECL
11 ædificavit built 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 Balaam Balaam NOM.SG.M.INDECL
13 septem seven ADJ.INDECL
14 aras altars ACC.PL.F.1ST DECL
15 et and CONJ
16 impositis having been placed ABL.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
17 supra upon ADV
18 vitulo a calf ABL.SG.M.2ND DECL
19 atque and CONJ
20 ariete a ram ABL.SG.M.3RD DECL

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque duxisset eum introduces the prior action of leading Balaam to another location.

Prepositional Phrase: in locum sublimem expresses movement toward a high place.

Locational Phrase: super verticem montis Phasga specifies the exact elevated position on Mount Phasga.

Main Clause: Balaam ædificavit septem aras states Balaam’s repeated ritual action of constructing altars.

Ablative Absolute: impositis supra vitulo atque ariete forms an ablative absolute construction describing the sacrificial animals having been placed upon the altars.

Coordinated Objects: vitulo atque ariete pair the two sacrificial animals within the ablative absolute construction.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction with enclitic conjunction; Form: temporal conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces the subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: The conjunction connects this movement to the preceding narrative sequence.
  2. duxisset — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: “he had led”; Notes: The pluperfect subjunctive after cum presents the action as completed before the main event.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of duxisset; Translation: “him”; Notes: The pronoun refers to Balaam being led by Balac.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces motion toward a place; Translation: “into”; Notes: With the accusative, in expresses movement rather than location.
  5. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “place”; Notes: The location is chosen strategically for viewing Israel.
  6. sublimem — Lemma: sublimis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine positive adjective; Function: modifies locum; Translation: “high”; Notes: The adjective emphasizes elevation and prominence.
  7. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the elevated position; Translation: “upon”; Notes: The preposition conveys position atop a summit.
  8. verticem — Lemma: vertex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine third declension; Function: object of the preposition super; Translation: “summit”; Notes: The noun refers to the peak or highest point.
  9. montis — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine third declension; Function: possessive genitive modifying verticem; Translation: “of the mountain”; Notes: The genitive identifies the summit as belonging to the mountain.
  10. Phasga — Lemma: Phasga; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine indeclinable; Function: modifies montis; Translation: “Phasga”; Notes: The name identifies the mountain ridge or region known as Phasga.
  11. ædificavit — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “built”; Notes: The perfect tense presents the altar construction as completed action.
  12. Balaam — Lemma: Balaam; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject of ædificavit; Translation: “Balaam”; Notes: The indeclinable name maintains the same form regardless of case function.
  13. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: modifies aras; Translation: “seven”; Notes: The numeral reflects the repeated ritual pattern established earlier.
  14. aras — Lemma: ara; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine first declension; Function: direct object of ædificavit; Translation: “altars”; Notes: The plural indicates multiple sacrificial structures.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the altar construction with the sacrificial preparation; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction links the two ritual actions together.
  16. impositis — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: participle within the ablative absolute; Translation: “having been placed”; Notes: The participle describes completed sacrificial placement before the following action.
  17. supra — Lemma: supra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb of place; Function: modifies impositis; Translation: “upon”; Notes: The adverb refers to placement upon the altars already mentioned.
  18. vitulo — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine second declension; Function: noun within the ablative absolute; Translation: “a calf”; Notes: The calf forms part of the sacrificial offering.
  19. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins vitulo and ariete; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction closely links the paired sacrificial animals.
  20. ariete — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine third declension; Function: noun within the ablative absolute; Translation: “a ram”; Notes: The ram completes the sacrificial pair offered upon the altars.

 

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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