Numeri 24:25 (Numbers 24:25)

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 24:25 Surrexitque Balaam, et reversus est in locum suum: Balac quoque via, qua venerat, rediit.

And Balaam arose and returned to his place; Balac likewise returned by the way through which he had come.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Surrexitque and arose 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Balaam Balaam NOM.SG.M
3 et and CONJ
4 reversus having returned NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
5 est he is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 in to PREP+ACC
7 locum place ACC.SG.M
8 suum his ACC.SG.M.POSS
9 Balac Balak NOM.SG.M
10 quoque likewise ADV
11 via by the way ABL.SG.F
12 qua through which ABL.SG.F.REL
13 venerat he had come 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
14 rediit returned 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Narrative Clause: Surrexitque Balaam introduces Balaam’s departure following the completion of the prophetic oracles.

Compound Verbal Construction: reversus est forms a deponent perfect expression describing Balaam’s return.

Prepositional Phrase: in locum suum specifies Balaam’s destination.

Parallel Clause: Balac quoque … rediit parallels Balac’s departure with Balaam’s return.

Ablative Phrase: via functions adverbially, expressing the route taken.

Relative Clause: qua venerat modifies via, identifying the same route by which Balac had originally arrived.

Adverbial Modifier: quoque emphasizes that Balac likewise departed.

Morphology

  1. Surrexitque — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic conjunction; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “and arose”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects this concluding action with the preceding events.
  2. Balaam — Lemma: Balaam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Subject of Surrexitque; Translation: “Balaam”; Notes: Refers to the prophet concluding his mission.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects sequential actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Balaam’s rising and returning.
  4. reversus — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: Predicate participle in compound verbal expression; Translation: “having returned”; Notes: The deponent form carries active meaning.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb completing perfect construction; Translation: “he is”; Notes: Forms the compound tense with reversus.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing accusative; Function: Introduces destination phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates movement toward a location.
  7. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to Balaam’s homeland or dwelling.
  8. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine positive degree; Function: Modifies locum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Balaam.
  9. Balac — Lemma: Balac; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: Subject of rediit; Translation: “Balac”; Notes: Refers to the Moabite king.
  10. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Modifies rediit; Translation: “likewise”; Notes: Emphasizes Balac’s corresponding departure.
  11. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: Ablative of route or means; Translation: “by the way”; Notes: Indicates the route taken.
  12. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Introduces relative clause modifying via; Translation: “through which”; Notes: Refers back to the route of travel.
  13. venerat — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “he had come”; Notes: Refers to Balac’s earlier arrival.
  14. rediit — Lemma: redeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: Main verb of final clause; Translation: “returned”; Notes: Concludes the narrative section with Balac’s departure.

 

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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