Numeri 24:23 (Numbers 24:23)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:23 Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est: Heu, quis victurus est, quando ista faciet Deus?

And having taken up the parable again, he spoke: “Alas, who shall live when God does these things?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Assumptaque and having been taken up ABL.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
2 parabola parable ABL.SG.F
3 iterum again ADV
4 locutus having spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
5 est he is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 Heu alas INTJ
7 quis who NOM.SG.M.INT
8 victurus about to live NOM.SG.M.FUT.ACT.PTCP
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 quando when CONJ
11 ista these things ACC.PL.N.DEM
12 faciet will do 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 Deus God NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Assumptaque parabola introduces the renewed prophetic oracle.

Adverbial Modifier: iterum emphasizes repetition or continuation of prophetic speech.

Periphrastic Construction: locutus est forms a deponent perfect expression meaning “he spoke.”

Interjection: Heu introduces lamentation or astonishment at future judgment.

Interrogative Clause: quis victurus est asks rhetorically who will survive or continue living.

Future Periphrastic Construction: victurus est expresses future survival or continued existence.

Temporal Clause: quando ista faciet Deus situates the question in the time of divine action and judgment.

Object Phrase: ista functions as the direct object of faciet, referring to the prophesied events.

Morphology

  1. Assumptaque — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle with enclitic conjunction; Function: Part of ablative absolute; Translation: “and having been taken up”; Notes: Refers to formally taking up the prophetic oracle, with -que linking it to the preceding context.
  2. parabola — Lemma: parabola; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: Noun within ablative absolute; Translation: “parable”; Notes: Refers to a prophetic saying or oracle.
  3. iterum — Lemma: iterum; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Modifies locutus est; Translation: “again”; Notes: Indicates repeated prophetic speech.
  4. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: Predicate participle in periphrastic construction; Translation: “having spoken”; Notes: The deponent form carries active meaning despite passive morphology.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb completing the perfect periphrastic construction; Translation: “he is”; Notes: Forms the compound tense with locutus.
  6. Heu — Lemma: heu; Part of Speech: Interjection; Form: Indeclinable interjection; Function: Expresses lament or astonishment; Translation: “alas”; Notes: Introduces a tone of dread concerning future events.
  7. quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: Interrogative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of victurus est; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces rhetorical question.
  8. victurus — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine future active participle; Function: Predicate participle in future periphrastic construction; Translation: “about to live”; Notes: Expresses future survival or continued existence.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb in future periphrastic construction; Translation: “is”; Notes: Completes the future-oriented expression.
  10. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Temporal conjunction; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Relates the action to a future time.
  11. ista — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of faciet; Translation: “these things”; Notes: Refers to the prophetic judgments previously described.
  12. faciet — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of temporal clause; Translation: “will do”; Notes: Refers to divine acts of judgment or intervention.
  13. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: Subject of faciet; Translation: “God”; Notes: Identifies the divine agent behind the foretold events.

 

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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