Numeri 24:22 (Numbers 24:22)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:22 et fueris electus de stirpe Cin, quamdiu poteris permanere? Assur enim capiet te.

and if you should be chosen from the lineage of Cin, how long will you be able to remain? For Assur shall capture you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 fueris you should be 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
3 electus chosen NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
4 de from PREP+ABL
5 stirpe lineage ABL.SG.F
6 Cin Kain GEN.SG.M
7 quamdiu how long ADV
8 poteris will you be able 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 permanere to remain PRES.ACT.INF
10 Assur Asshur NOM.SG.M
11 enim for CONJ
12 capiet shall capture 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 te you ACC.SG.2.PERS

Syntax

Conditional Opening: et fueris electus de stirpe Cin introduces a conditional or hypothetical statement concerning secure lineage.

Passive Predicate Construction: fueris electus expresses a completed future state of being chosen or established.

Prepositional Phrase: de stirpe Cin identifies the ancestral source or lineage.

Interrogative Clause: quamdiu poteris permanere asks how long such security can endure.

Infinitive Construction: permanere functions as the complement of poteris.

Explanatory Clause: Assur enim capiet te provides the reason the security will not last.

Adversative Force: The transition from secure lineage to inevitable capture creates prophetic irony and warning.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects this statement with the previous oracle; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the prophetic discourse.
  2. fueris — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb in passive construction; Translation: “you should be”; Notes: Expresses a completed future condition.
  3. electus — Lemma: eligo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: Predicate participle with fueris; Translation: “chosen”; Notes: Suggests being selected, established, or distinguished.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin or descent.
  5. stirpe — Lemma: stirps; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine third declension; Function: Object of de; Translation: “lineage”; Notes: Refers to ancestry or tribal descent.
  6. Cin — Lemma: Cin; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Genitive modifier of stirpe; Translation: “Cin”; Notes: Refers to the Kenite lineage.
  7. quamdiu — Lemma: quamdiu; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable interrogative adverb; Function: Introduces temporal question; Translation: “how long”; Notes: Questions duration or endurance.
  8. poteris — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of interrogative clause; Translation: “will you be able”; Notes: Expresses future capacity or endurance.
  9. permanere — Lemma: permaneo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with poteris; Translation: “to remain”; Notes: Suggests continued existence or stability.
  10. Assur — Lemma: Assur; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Subject of capiet; Translation: “Assur”; Notes: Refers to Assyria as the conquering power.
  11. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating explanatory conjunction; Function: Introduces explanation; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides the reason for the preceding question.
  12. capiet — Lemma: capio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of explanatory clause; Translation: “shall capture”; Notes: Predicts conquest and captivity.
  13. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Accusative singular second person; Function: Direct object of capiet; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers directly to the Cinæan people or representative figure.

 

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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