Numeri 23:5 (Numbers 23:5)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:5 Dominus autem posuit verbum in ore eius, et ait: Revertere ad Balac, et hæc loqueris.

But the LORD placed a word in his mouth, and said: “Return to Balac, and you shall speak these things.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
2 autem however CONJ
3 posuit placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 verbum a word ACC.SG.N.2ND DECL
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 ore mouth ABL.SG.N.3RD DECL
7 eius his GEN.SG.PERS.PRON
8 et and CONJ
9 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Revertere return 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP.MOOD
11 ad to PREP+ACC
12 Balac Balak ACC.SG.M.INDECL
13 et and CONJ
14 hæc these things ACC.PL.N.DEM.PRON
15 loqueris you shall speak 2SG.FUT.DEP.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus is the subject of posuit, while verbum is the direct object.

Prepositional Phrase: in ore eius indicates the location into which the word was placed, symbolizing divine inspiration or command.

Coordinated Verb Clause: et ait introduces the LORD’s direct speech.

Imperative Clause: Revertere ad Balac commands Balaam to go back to Balac.

Future Declarative Clause: hæc loqueris states what Balaam is to communicate upon returning.

Morphology

  1. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject of posuit and ait; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: In this context Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces contrast or continuation; Translation: “however”; Notes: The conjunction marks a shift from Balaam’s action to the LORD’s intervention.
  3. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “placed”; Notes: The perfect tense presents the divine action as completed and decisive.
  4. verbum — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter second declension; Function: direct object of posuit; Translation: “a word”; Notes: The noun refers to a divinely given message or oracle.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the place where the word is placed; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative, in expresses location rather than motion.
  6. ore — Lemma: os; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter third declension; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “mouth”; Notes: The mouth symbolizes speech and proclamation in prophetic contexts.
  7. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier of ore; Translation: “his”; Notes: The pronoun refers to Balaam as the recipient of the divine word.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the divine action and the divine speech; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction links the imparting of the message with the accompanying command.
  9. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Ait is frequently used in biblical narrative for direct divine or human speech.
  10. Revertere — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: second person singular present deponent imperative; Function: direct command addressed to Balaam; Translation: “return”; Notes: Although passive in form, the imperative has active meaning because revertor is deponent.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the destination of Balaam’s return; Translation: “to”; Notes: The preposition indicates movement toward Balac.
  12. Balac — Lemma: Balac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “Balac”; Notes: The indeclinable form relies on syntax and preposition for grammatical function.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the command to return with the instruction to speak; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction connects Balaam’s movement with his prophetic responsibility.
  14. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of loqueris; Translation: “these things”; Notes: The pronoun refers to the divine words Balaam is commanded to deliver.
  15. loqueris — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: second person singular future deponent indicative; Function: verb expressing commanded future action; Translation: “you shall speak”; Notes: The future tense presents Balaam’s prophetic speech as obligatory and forthcoming.

 

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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