Numeri 23:28 (Numbers 23:28)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:28 Cumque duxisset eum super verticem montis Phogor, qui respicit solitudinem,

And when he had led him upon the summit of mount Phogor, which overlooks the wilderness,

# 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 super upon PREP+ACC
5 verticem summit ACC.SG.M.3RD DECL
6 montis of mount GEN.SG.M.3RD DECL
7 Phogor Peor GEN.SG.M.INDECL
8 qui which NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
9 respicit overlooks 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 solitudinem the wilderness ACC.SG.F.3RD DECL

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque duxisset eum introduces a circumstantial temporal action preceding the main narrative event.

Direct Object: eum functions as the object of duxisset, referring to Balaam.

Prepositional Phrase: super verticem montis Phogor identifies the elevated destination to which Balaam was led.

Genitive Construction: montis Phogor specifies the particular mountain summit.

Relative Clause: qui respicit solitudinem describes mount Phogor as overlooking the wilderness.

Main Relative Verb: respicit expresses geographical orientation or visual dominance over the surrounding region.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction with enclitic conjunction; Form: temporal conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces the temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: The enclitic -que closely links this clause to the preceding narrative.
  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 is characteristic of circumstantial cum-clauses in narrative Latin.
  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 as the one being led.
  4. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the destination phrase; Translation: “upon”; Notes: The preposition expresses upward movement onto an elevated place.
  5. 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 of the mountain.
  6. montis — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine third declension; Function: possessive genitive modifying verticem; Translation: “of mount”; Notes: The genitive identifies the summit as belonging to the mountain.
  7. Phogor — Lemma: Phogor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: modifies montis; Translation: “Phogor”; Notes: The proper name identifies the mountain associated with the region of Peor.
  8. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respicit; Translation: “which”; Notes: The pronoun refers back to mons Phogor.
  9. respicit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “overlooks”; Notes: The present tense vividly describes the mountain’s geographical position.
  10. solitudinem — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine third declension; Function: direct object of respicit; Translation: “the wilderness”; Notes: The noun refers to the desert or uninhabited region visible from the mountain.

 

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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