Numeri 23:26 (Numbers 23:26)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:26 Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?

And he said: “Did I not tell you that whatever God should command me, this I would do?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
3 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Nonne did not ADV
5 dixi I said 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 tibi to you DAT.SG.PERS.PRON
7 quod that CONJ
8 quidquid whatever ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
9 mihi to me DAT.SG.PERS.PRON
10 Deus God NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
11 imperaret should command 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
12 hoc this ACC.SG.N.DEM.PRON
13 facerem I would do 1SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Narrative Clause: Et ille ait introduces Balaam’s response to Balac.

Rhetorical Question: Nonne dixi tibi forms a rhetorical question expecting agreement or affirmation.

Dative Construction: tibi functions as the indirect object of dixi.

Object Clause: quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem expresses the content of Balaam’s previous statement.

Indefinite Relative Construction: quidquid introduces the idea of total obedience to whatever God commands.

Dative Construction: mihi functions as the indirect object of imperaret.

Subjunctive Verbs: imperaret and facerem appear in the imperfect subjunctive within indirect discourse.

Correlative Structure: quidquid … hoc pairs the indefinite pronoun with the demonstrative pronoun for emphasis: “whatever … this.”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects the statement with the preceding narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction continues the dialogue sequence.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “he”; Notes: The demonstrative refers emphatically to Balaam.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: The verb commonly introduces solemn or direct replies.
  4. Nonne — Lemma: nonne; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: indeclinable interrogative particle; Function: introduces a rhetorical question expecting affirmation; Translation: “did not”; Notes: The particle implies that the answer should be “yes.”
  5. dixi — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the rhetorical question; Translation: “I said”; Notes: The perfect tense refers to Balaam’s earlier warning to Balac.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular second person; Function: indirect object of dixi; Translation: “to you”; Notes: The pronoun identifies Balac as the recipient of Balaam’s statement.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces the object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: The conjunction introduces the content of Balaam’s previous declaration.
  8. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of imperaret; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: The pronoun expresses unrestricted scope regarding God’s command.
  9. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular first person; Function: indirect object of imperaret; Translation: “to me”; Notes: The pronoun identifies Balaam as the recipient of divine command.
  10. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject of imperaret; Translation: “God”; Notes: The subject emphasizes divine authority over Balaam’s speech and action.
  11. imperaret — Lemma: impero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb within indirect discourse; Translation: “should command”; Notes: The imperfect subjunctive appears because of the dependent object clause after a past-tense main verb.
  12. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of facerem; Translation: “this”; Notes: The pronoun corresponds emphatically to quidquid.
  13. facerem — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb within indirect discourse; Translation: “I would do”; Notes: The imperfect subjunctive expresses intended obedience within reported speech.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.