Numeri 24:21 (Numbers 24:21)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:21 Vidit quoque Cinæum: et assumpta parabola, ait: Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum: sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum,

He also saw the Cinite; and having taken up the parable, he said: “Indeed your dwelling place is strong; but even if you place your nest in the rock,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vidit he saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Cinæum the Kenite ACC.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 assumpta having been taken up ABL.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 parabola parable ABL.SG.F
7 ait he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 Robustum strong NOM.SG.N.POS
9 quidem indeed ADV
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 habitaculum dwelling place NOM.SG.N
12 tuum your NOM.SG.N.POSS
13 sed but CONJ
14 si if CONJ
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 petra rock ABL.SG.F
17 posueris you place 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
18 nidum nest ACC.SG.M
19 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Main Narrative Clause: Vidit quoque Cinæum introduces Balaam’s prophetic observation concerning the Cinæan.

Adverbial Modifier: quoque indicates continuation with another prophetic subject.

Ablative Absolute: assumpta parabola introduces the formal prophetic oracle.

Main Speech Verb: ait introduces the spoken prophecy.

Predicate Construction: Robustum quidem est habitaculum tuum describes the strength and security of the Cinæan dwelling.

Conditional Clause: sed si in petra posueris nidum tuum introduces a hypothetical situation emphasizing fortified security.

Prepositional Phrase: in petra specifies the location of the nest.

Morphology

  1. Vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “he saw”; Notes: Introduces Balaam’s prophetic observation.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Modifies Vidit; Translation: “also”; Notes: Signals continuation to another oracle.
  3. Cinæum — Lemma: Cinæus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: Direct object of Vidit; Translation: “the Cinæan”; Notes: Refers to the Kenite people.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects narrative action with prophetic speech; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the narrative flow.
  5. assumpta — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: Part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having been taken up”; Notes: Refers to formally taking up the oracle.
  6. parabola — Lemma: parabola; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: Noun within ablative absolute; Translation: “parable”; Notes: Refers to the prophetic saying or oracle.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Main introductory verb of direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common biblical speech-introduction verb.
  8. Robustum — Lemma: robustus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter positive degree; Function: Predicate adjective with est; Translation: “strong”; Notes: Describes firmness and security.
  9. quidem — Lemma: quidem; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Emphasizes the assertion; Translation: “indeed”; Notes: Strengthens the statement about security.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  11. habitaculum — Lemma: habitaculum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter second declension; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “dwelling place”; Notes: Refers to habitation or settlement.
  12. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter positive degree; Function: Modifies habitaculum; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to the Cinæan dwelling.
  13. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces contrastive condition; Translation: “but”; Notes: Shifts from statement to warning.
  14. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Conditional conjunction; Function: Introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Establishes hypothetical circumstance.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates fixed location.
  16. petra — Lemma: petra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: “rock”; Notes: Symbolizes security and fortification.
  17. posueris — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: Verb of conditional clause; Translation: “you place”; Notes: Expresses completed future action within the condition.
  18. nidum — Lemma: nidus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: Direct object of posueris; Translation: “nest”; Notes: Figuratively represents habitation or refuge.
  19. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine positive degree; Function: Modifies nidum; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personalizes the secure refuge described.

 

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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