Numeri 23:9 (Numbers 23:9)

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 23:9 De summis silicibus videbo eum, et de collibus considerabo illum. Populus solus habitabit, et inter gentes non reputabitur.

From the tops of the rocks I shall see him, and from the hills I shall observe him. The people shall dwell alone, and among the nations it shall not be reckoned.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 summis tops ABL.PL.M.SUPER.ADJ
3 silicibus rocks ABL.PL.M.3RD DECL
4 videbo I shall see 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 de from PREP+ABL
8 collibus hills ABL.PL.M.3RD DECL
9 considerabo I shall observe 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 illum him ACC.SG.M.DEM.PRON
11 Populus people NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
12 solus alone NOM.SG.M.POS.ADJ
13 habitabit shall dwell 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 et and CONJ
15 inter among PREP+ACC
16 gentes nations ACC.PL.F.3RD DECL
17 non not ADV
18 reputabitur shall be reckoned 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND

Syntax

First Main Clause: videbo eum forms the principal statement, with videbo as the future verb and eum as its direct object.

Source Phrase: De summis silicibus expresses the elevated vantage point from which Balaam sees the people.

Coordinated Clause: et de collibus considerabo illum parallels the first clause with synonymous imagery and vocabulary.

Second Main Clause: Populus solus habitabit declares the independent condition of the people, with solus functioning predicatively.

Prepositional Phrase: inter gentes establishes the wider context of the surrounding nations.

Passive Clause: non reputabitur states that the people will not be counted or classified among other nations.

Poetic Parallelism: The verse uses synonymous parallelism between videbo and considerabo, as well as thematic parallelism between Israel’s isolation and its distinct identity among the nations.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the place of vantage; Translation: “from”; Notes: The preposition marks origin or elevated position.
  2. summis — Lemma: summus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine superlative adjective; Function: modifies silicibus; Translation: “tops”; Notes: The superlative adjective emphasizes the highest or uppermost rocks.
  3. silicibus — Lemma: silex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine third declension; Function: object of the preposition De; Translation: “rocks”; Notes: The noun evokes rugged elevated terrain suitable for prophetic observation.
  4. videbo — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: “I shall see”; Notes: The future tense reflects Balaam’s prophetic vision.
  5. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of videbo; Translation: “him”; Notes: The pronoun refers collectively to Israel as a singular people.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the parallel visionary clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction creates poetic balance between the two statements.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the second vantage point; Translation: “from”; Notes: The repeated preposition reinforces the elevated perspective.
  8. collibus — Lemma: collis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine third declension; Function: object of the preposition de; Translation: “hills”; Notes: The hills parallel the rocks and continue the imagery of distant observation.
  9. considerabo — Lemma: considero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the coordinated clause; Translation: “I shall observe”; Notes: The verb suggests attentive contemplation rather than merely physical sight.
  10. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of considerabo; Translation: “him”; Notes: The demonstrative gives emphasis to the people being observed.
  11. Populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject of habitabit; Translation: “people”; Notes: The singular noun refers collectively to the nation of Israel.
  12. solus — Lemma: solus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive adjective; Function: predicate adjective modifying Populus; Translation: “alone”; Notes: The adjective emphasizes Israel’s separateness and uniqueness.
  13. habitabit — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the second statement; Translation: “shall dwell”; Notes: The future tense presents Israel’s distinct condition as enduring.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the two declarations about Israel; Translation: “and”; Notes: The conjunction unites the themes of separation and identity.
  15. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the surrounding nations; Translation: “among”; Notes: The preposition places Israel in contrast with other peoples.
  16. gentes — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine third declension; Function: object of the preposition inter; Translation: “nations”; Notes: The term commonly refers to foreign peoples or Gentile nations.
  17. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb of negation; Function: negates reputabitur; Translation: “not”; Notes: The negation reinforces Israel’s exceptional status.
  18. reputabitur — Lemma: reputo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb of the passive clause; Translation: “shall be reckoned”; Notes: The passive voice emphasizes how Israel is viewed or classified by others.

 

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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