Numeri 5:22 (Numbers 5:22)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5:22 ingrediantur aquæ maledictæ in ventrem tuum, et utero tumescente putrescat femur. Et respondebit mulier, Amen, amen.

may the cursed waters enter into your belly, and with the womb swelling may the thigh rot.’ And the woman shall answer, ‘Amen, amen.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ingrediantur may enter 3PL.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
2 aquæ waters NOM.PL.F
3 maledictæ cursed NOM.PL.F
4 in into PREP+ACC
5 ventrem belly ACC.SG.M
6 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS
7 et and CONJ
8 utero womb ABL.SG.M
9 tumescente swelling PTCP.PRES.ABL.SG.M
10 putrescat may rot 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 femur thigh NOM.SG.N
12 Et and CONJ
13 respondebit she shall answer 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 mulier woman NOM.SG.F
15 Amen Amen INDECL
16 amen amen INDECL

Syntax

Jussive Clause: ingrediantur aquæ maledictæ, with aquæ maledictæ as subject and ingrediantur expressing an imprecatory wish. in ventrem tuum indicates direction.

Clause with Ablative Absolute: utero tumescente putrescat femur, where utero tumescente functions as an ablative absolute and putrescat is a jussive verb.

Main Clause: Et respondebit mulier, with mulier as subject and respondebit as verb.

Direct Response: Amen amen expresses solemn affirmation.

Morphology

  1. ingrediantur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person plural present deponent subjunctive; Function: jussive verb; Translation: may enter; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning expressing imprecation.
  2. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject; Translation: waters; Notes: ritual element.
  3. maledictæ — Lemma: maledictus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies aquæ; Translation: cursed; Notes: indicates their nature.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: into; Notes: expresses motion inward.
  5. ventrem — Lemma: venter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: belly; Notes: physical target.
  6. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies ventrem; Translation: your; Notes: personal reference.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues imprecation.
  8. utero — Lemma: uterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: womb; Notes: part of absolute construction.
  9. tumescente — Lemma: tumeo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies utero; Translation: swelling; Notes: expresses accompanying condition.
  10. putrescat — Lemma: putresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: jussive verb; Translation: may rot; Notes: expresses curse effect.
  11. femur — Lemma: femur; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: subject; Translation: thigh; Notes: body part affected.
  12. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces new clause; Translation: and; Notes: transition to response.
  13. respondebit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative, 2nd conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: she shall answer; Notes: formal reply.
  14. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: subject; Translation: woman; Notes: participant in ritual.
  15. Amen — Lemma: amen; Part of Speech: indeclinable; Form: indeclinable; Function: direct speech; Translation: Amen; Notes: solemn affirmation.
  16. amen — Lemma: amen; Part of Speech: indeclinable; Form: indeclinable; Function: repetition; Translation: amen; Notes: intensifies affirmation.

 

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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