Numeri 23:21 (Numbers 23:21)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:21 Non est idolum in Iacob, nec videtur simulacrum in Israel. Dominus Deus eius cum eo est, et clangor victoriæ regis in illo.

There is no idol in Jacob, nor is an image seen in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of the victory of a king is in him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 idolum idol NOM.SG.N.2ND DECL
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 Iacob Jacob ABL.SG.M.INDECL
6 nec nor CONJ
7 videtur is seen 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
8 simulacrum image NOM.SG.N.2ND DECL
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 Israel Israel ABL.SG.M.INDECL
11 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
12 Deus God NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
13 eius his GEN.SG.PERS.PRON
14 cum with PREP+ABL
15 eo him ABL.SG.M.PERS.PRON
16 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 et and CONJ
18 clangor shout NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
19 victoriæ of victory GEN.SG.F.1ST DECL
20 regis of a king GEN.SG.M.3RD DECL
21 in in PREP+ABL
22 illo him ABL.SG.M.DEM.PRON

Syntax

Negative Existential Clause: Non est idolum in Iacob declares the absence of idolatry among Iacob.

Locational Phrase: in Iacob identifies the covenant people as the sphere in which no idol exists.

Coordinated Negative Clause: nec videtur simulacrum in Israel parallels the first statement using passive verbal construction.

Passive Clause: videtur simulacrum emphasizes that no carved image appears or is perceived within Israel.

Main Declarative Clause: Dominus Deus eius cum eo est states the divine presence with Israel.

Compound Subject: Dominus Deus eius functions together as the subject of est.

Prepositional Phrase: cum eo expresses divine companionship and covenant presence.

Coordinated Clause: et clangor victoriæ regis in illo adds the imagery of royal triumph and victorious acclamation.

Genitive Construction: victoriæ regis expresses the victorious shout associated with a king.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb of negation; Function: negates est; Translation: “not”; Notes: The negation strongly denies the presence of idolatry.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb in the existential clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: The present tense expresses an enduring condition.
  3. idolum — Lemma: idolum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter second declension; Function: subject of est; Translation: “idol”; Notes: The noun refers to a false god or object of worship.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the sphere or location; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative, the preposition indicates location.
  5. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The name represents the covenant nation collectively.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative conjunction; Function: joins the second negative declaration; Translation: “nor”; Notes: The conjunction strengthens the parallel denial.
  7. videtur — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative; Function: verb of the passive clause; Translation: “is seen”; Notes: The passive emphasizes absence from visible perception.
  8. simulacrum — Lemma: simulacrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter second declension; Function: subject of videtur; Translation: “image”; Notes: The noun refers to an idol, carved representation, or false image.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the location of visibility; Translation: “in”; Notes: The repeated preposition reinforces the parallel structure.
  10. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: The name parallels Iacob as another designation for the covenant people.
  11. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: part of the compound subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  12. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: part of the compound subject with Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: The noun reinforces the divine identity and covenant relationship.
  13. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier of Deus; Translation: “his”; Notes: The pronoun refers to Israel collectively.
  14. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: The preposition expresses covenant presence and fellowship.
  15. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of the preposition cum; Translation: “him”; Notes: The pronoun refers collectively to Israel.
  16. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of the declarative clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: The present tense expresses continuing divine presence.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the final clause to the preceding statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction connects divine presence with royal victory imagery.
  18. clangor — Lemma: clangor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine third declension; Function: subject of the implied verb; Translation: “shout”; Notes: The noun suggests loud triumphant acclamation or battle cry.
  19. victoriæ — Lemma: victoria; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine first declension; Function: possessive genitive modifying clangor; Translation: “of victory”; Notes: The genitive defines the nature of the triumphant shout.
  20. regis — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine third declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying victoriæ; Translation: “of a king”; Notes: The royal imagery points toward divine kingship and victorious rule.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the sphere in which the victorious cry exists; Translation: “in”; Notes: The preposition again expresses location or presence.
  22. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “him”; Notes: The pronoun refers collectively to Israel as the people among whom divine victory is manifested.

 

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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