Numeri 23:18 (Numbers 23:18)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:18 At ille assumpta parabola sua, ait: Sta Balac, et ausculta, audi fili Sephor:

But he, having taken up his parable, said: “Stand, Balac, and listen; hear, son of Sephor:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
3 assumpta having taken up ABL.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
4 parabola parable ABL.SG.F.1ST DECL
5 sua his ABL.SG.F.POSS.PRON
6 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Sta stand 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
8 Balac Balak VOC.SG.M.INDECL
9 et and CONJ
10 ausculta listen 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
11 audi hear 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
12 fili son VOC.SG.M.2ND DECL
13 Sephor of Zippor GEN.SG.M.INDECL

Syntax

Adversative Opening: At ille introduces Balaam’s response in contrast to Balac’s inquiry.

Ablative Absolute: assumpta parabola sua forms an ablative absolute construction indicating Balaam’s formal assumption of prophetic speech.

Main Clause: ait introduces Balaam’s direct prophetic declaration.

Imperative Sequence: Sta Balac, ausculta, and audi form a chain of commands demanding Balac’s full attention.

Vocative Address: Balac and fili Sephor directly address the Moabite king.

Appositional Vocative: fili Sephor further identifies Balac through his father’s name in a solemn prophetic style.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: adversative conjunction; Function: introduces contrast with the preceding speech; Translation: “but”; Notes: The conjunction marks a transition into Balaam’s authoritative prophetic response.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “he”; Notes: The demonstrative points emphatically to Balaam as the speaker.
  3. assumpta — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: participle within the ablative absolute; Translation: “having taken up”; Notes: The participle introduces Balaam’s formal prophetic utterance.
  4. parabola — Lemma: parabola; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: noun within the ablative absolute; Translation: “parable”; Notes: In biblical Latin the term often refers to a prophetic oracle or elevated saying.
  5. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine agreeing with parabola; Function: modifies parabola; Translation: “his”; Notes: The possessive identifies the oracle as Balaam’s own prophetic discourse.
  6. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: The verb is commonly used for solemn or direct declarations.
  7. Sta — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: direct command addressed to Balac; Translation: “stand”; Notes: The imperative calls Balac to attentive readiness.
  8. Balac — Lemma: Balac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: vocative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: direct address; Translation: “Balac”; Notes: The vocative directly summons the king’s attention.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the imperative commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction links the sequence of commands into a unified appeal.
  10. ausculta — Lemma: ausculto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: command addressed to Balac; Translation: “listen”; Notes: The verb implies attentive or careful listening.
  11. audi — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: second command reinforcing attention; Translation: “hear”; Notes: The imperative intensifies the demand that Balac heed the oracle.
  12. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine second declension; Function: vocative title addressing Balac; Translation: “son”; Notes: The vocative form personally identifies Balac through lineage.
  13. Sephor — Lemma: Sephor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: possessive genitive modifying fili; Translation: “of Sephor”; Notes: The patronymic identifies Balac by his father in formal prophetic style.

 

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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