Numeri 24:19 (Numbers 24:19)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:19 De Iacob erit qui dominetur. et perdat reliquias civitatis.

From Jacob will come one who shall rule, and he shall destroy the remnant of the city.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 Iacob Jacob ABL.SG.M
3 erit will come 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
4 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
5 dominetur may rule 3SG.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
6 et and CONJ
7 perdat may destroy 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 reliquias remnant ACC.PL.F
9 civitatis of the city GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Prepositional Opening: De Iacob introduces the origin of the future ruler.

Main Clause: erit qui dominetur presents the emergence of a ruler arising from Iacob.

Relative Clause of Characteristic: qui dominetur uses the subjunctive to describe the defining characteristic of the coming figure.

Coordinated Clause: et perdat reliquias civitatis adds the action of destruction associated with the ruler’s dominion.

Object Phrase: reliquias civitatis functions as the direct object of perdat.

Subjunctive Usage: dominetur and perdat both express characteristic or destined action within the prophetic description.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin or emergence.
  2. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Object of De; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Refers to the patriarchal source of the coming ruler.
  3. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of prophetic clause; Translation: “will come”; Notes: Expresses future emergence or existence.
  4. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to the future ruler arising from Iacob.
  5. dominetur — Lemma: dominor; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present deponent subjunctive; Function: Verb of relative clause of characteristic; Translation: “may rule”; Notes: The deponent form carries active meaning of exercising dominion.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects coordinated prophetic actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins ruling and destroying actions together.
  7. perdat — Lemma: perdo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: Coordinated verb within relative clause of characteristic; Translation: “may destroy”; Notes: Expresses decisive destruction associated with the ruler.
  8. reliquias — Lemma: reliquiæ; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine first declension; Function: Direct object of perdat; Translation: “remnant”; Notes: Refers to surviving remains or survivors.
  9. civitatis — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine third declension; Function: Genitive modifier of reliquias; Translation: “of the city”; Notes: Specifies the source or association of the remnant.

 

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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