Numeri 23:23 (Numbers 23:23)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:23 Non est augurium in Iacob, nec divinatio in Israel. Temporibus suis dicetur Iacob et Israeli quid operatus sit Deus.

There is no augury in Jacob, nor divination in Israel. In their times it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 augurium augury NOM.SG.N.2ND DECL
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 Iacob Jacob ABL.SG.M.INDECL
6 nec nor CONJ
7 divinatio divination NOM.SG.F.3RD DECL
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 Israel Israel ABL.SG.M.INDECL
10 Temporibus in times ABL.PL.N.3RD DECL
11 suis their ABL.PL.N.POSS.PRON
12 dicetur it shall be said 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
13 Iacob to Jacob DAT.SG.M.INDECL
14 et and CONJ
15 Israeli to Israel DAT.SG.M.INDECL
16 quid what ACC.SG.N.INT.PRON
17 operatus wrought NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
18 sit has 3SG.PRES.SUBJ
19 Deus God NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL

Syntax

Negative Existential Clause: Non est augurium in Iacob denies the presence of pagan divination practices among Jacob.

Coordinated Negative Clause: nec divinatio in Israel parallels the first statement with synonymous terminology.

Locational Phrases: in Iacob and in Israel define the covenant people as the sphere free from occult practices.

Temporal Phrase: Temporibus suis situates the following revelation within appointed or proper times.

Passive Main Clause: dicetur Iacob et Israeli expresses that revelation will be declared to God’s people.

Dative Construction: Iacob et Israeli function as indirect objects receiving the declaration.

Indirect Question: quid operatus sit Deus reports the content of what shall be proclaimed.

Compound Deponent Construction: operatus sit forms a perfect subjunctive construction of the deponent verb operor within the indirect question.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb of negation; Function: negates est; Translation: “not”; Notes: The negation emphatically excludes occult practices from Israel.
  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 a continuing reality.
  3. augurium — Lemma: augurium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter second declension; Function: subject of est; Translation: “augury”; Notes: The noun refers to omen-reading or divinatory interpretation.
  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 denotes location or sphere.
  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 people collectively.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative conjunction; Function: joins the parallel negative clause; Translation: “nor”; Notes: The conjunction strengthens the total denial of occultism.
  7. divinatio — Lemma: divinatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: implied subject of the second clause; Translation: “divination”; Notes: The noun refers to attempts to discern hidden knowledge through supernatural means.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the sphere of reference; Translation: “in”; Notes: The repeated preposition reinforces the parallel structure.
  9. 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 covenant designation.
  10. Temporibus — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter third declension; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “in times”; Notes: The plural refers to appointed or proper seasons determined by God.
  11. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter agreeing with temporibus; Function: modifies temporibus; Translation: “their”; Notes: The possessive points to divinely appointed times.
  12. dicetur — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: “it shall be said”; Notes: The passive voice emphasizes proclamation rather than the speaker.
  13. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: indirect object of dicetur; Translation: “to Jacob”; Notes: The dative marks the recipient of divine revelation.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two indirect objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction links the synonymous covenant names.
  15. Israeli — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: second indirect object of dicetur; Translation: “to Israel”; Notes: The dative continues the idea of revelation addressed to the covenant people.
  16. quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object within the indirect question; Translation: “what”; Notes: The pronoun introduces the content of what shall be proclaimed.
  17. operatus — Lemma: operor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: part of the compound perfect subjunctive; Translation: “wrought”; Notes: The participle combines with sit to form the perfect tense of the deponent verb.
  18. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive; Function: auxiliary verb within the indirect question; Translation: “has”; Notes: The subjunctive mood is required in the indirect question construction.
  19. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject of operatus sit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The subject emphasizes divine action rather than magical manipulation.

 

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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