Numeri 20:17 (Numbers 20:17)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:17 obsecramus ut nobis transire liceat per terram tuam. Non ibimus per agros, nec per vineas, non bibemus aquas de puteis tuis, sed gradiemur via publica, nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram declinantes, donec transeamus terminos tuos.

we beg that it may be permitted for us to pass through your land. We will not go through fields nor through vineyards, we will not drink waters from your wells, but we will walk along the public road, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left, until we pass beyond your borders.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 obsecramus we beg 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
2 ut that CONJ
3 nobis for us DAT.PL
4 transire to pass through PRES.ACT.INF
5 liceat it may be permitted 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
6 per through PREP+ACC
7 terram land ACC.SG.F
8 tuam your ACC.SG.F
9 Non not ADV
10 ibimus we will go 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
11 per through PREP+ACC
12 agros fields ACC.PL.M
13 nec nor CONJ
14 per through PREP+ACC
15 vineas vineyards ACC.PL.F
16 non not ADV
17 bibemus we will drink 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
18 aquas waters ACC.PL.F
19 de from PREP+ABL
20 puteis wells ABL.PL.M
21 tuis your ABL.PL.M
22 sed but CONJ
23 gradiemur we will walk 1PL.FUT.DEP.IND
24 via road ABL.SG.F
25 publica public ABL.SG.F
26 nec neither CONJ
27 ad to PREP+ACC
28 dexteram right ACC.SG.F
29 nec nor CONJ
30 ad to PREP+ACC
31 sinistram left ACC.SG.F
32 declinantes turning aside NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
33 donec until CONJ
34 transeamus we pass beyond 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
35 terminos borders ACC.PL.M
36 tuos your ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: obsecramus introduces a respectful diplomatic plea.

Substantive Clause: ut nobis transire liceat per terram tuam expresses the request being made.

Indirect Object: nobis functions with liceat to indicate the ones receiving permission.

Infinitive Construction: transire liceat combines the infinitive with the impersonal verb of permission.

Negative Main Clause: Non ibimus per agros, nec per vineas promises avoidance of cultivated property.

Negative Main Clause: non bibemus aquas de puteis tuis promises that Israel will not consume Edom’s water resources.

Main Clause: sed gradiemur via publica presents the alternative course of travel.

Participial Phrase: nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram declinantes describes the disciplined manner of travel without deviation.

Temporal Clause: donec transeamus terminos tuos expresses the duration of the requested passage.

Morphology

  1. obsecramus — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present active indicative; Function: main verb of request; Translation: “we beg”; Notes: conveys earnest and respectful pleading.
  2. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces substantive clause of request; Translation: “that”; Notes: introduces the content of the plea.
  3. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural first person personal pronoun; Function: indirect object of liceat; Translation: “for us”; Notes: identifies those requesting permission.
  4. transire — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with liceat; Translation: “to pass through”; Notes: describes the requested action of travel.
  5. liceat — Lemma: liceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: impersonal verb within request clause; Translation: “it may be permitted”; Notes: expresses requested permission.
  6. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces route phrase; Translation: “through”; Notes: marks movement across territory.
  7. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: “land”; Notes: refers to the territory of Edom.
  8. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine possessive; Function: modifies terram; Translation: “your”; Notes: identifies the land as belonging to Edom.
  9. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates ibimus; Translation: “not”; Notes: introduces a promise of restraint.
  10. ibimus — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “we will go”; Notes: expresses future intention and conduct.
  11. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces route phrase; Translation: “through”; Notes: marks travel across cultivated areas.
  12. agros — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of per; Translation: “fields”; Notes: refers to agricultural land.
  13. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating negative conjunction; Translation: “nor”; Notes: extends the denial to another category.
  14. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces route phrase; Translation: “through”; Notes: continues the promise of non-interference.
  15. vineas — Lemma: vinea; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: “vineyards”; Notes: refers to cultivated grape-producing land.
  16. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates bibemus; Translation: “not”; Notes: introduces another assurance of restraint.
  17. bibemus — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “we will drink”; Notes: promises avoidance of local resources.
  18. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of bibemus; Translation: “waters”; Notes: the plural emphasizes water sources collectively.
  19. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces separative phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: indicates source.
  20. puteis — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: “wells”; Notes: refers to dug water sources.
  21. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine possessive; Function: modifies puteis; Translation: “your”; Notes: identifies the wells as belonging to Edom.
  22. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: introduces the proposed alternative behavior.
  23. gradiemur — Lemma: gradior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural future deponent indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “we will walk”; Notes: the deponent form carries active meaning of orderly travel.
  24. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of route; Translation: “road”; Notes: indicates the route of travel.
  25. publica — Lemma: publicus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine positive; Function: modifies via; Translation: “public”; Notes: refers to the common or royal roadway.
  26. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: negative coordinating conjunction; Translation: “neither”; Notes: introduces the first directional denial.
  27. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces directional phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: marks directional movement.
  28. dexteram — Lemma: dextera; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “right”; Notes: refers idiomatically to deviation toward one side.
  29. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating negative conjunction; Translation: “nor”; Notes: balances the previous directional denial.
  30. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces directional phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: indicates movement toward another direction.
  31. sinistram — Lemma: sinistra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “left”; Notes: completes the idiomatic expression of non-deviation.
  32. declinantes — Lemma: declino; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying implied subject “we”; Translation: “turning aside”; Notes: describes disciplined and direct travel.
  33. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “until”; Notes: marks the limit of the proposed passage.
  34. transeamus — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “we pass beyond”; Notes: the subjunctive follows donec in prospective sense.
  35. terminos — Lemma: terminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of transeamus; Translation: “borders”; Notes: refers to territorial limits.
  36. tuos — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine possessive; Function: modifies terminos; Translation: “your”; Notes: identifies the borders as belonging to Edom.

 

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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