Numeri 20:20 (Numbers 20:20)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:20 At ille respondit: Non transibis. Statimque egressus est obvius, cum infinita multitudo, et manu forti,

But he answered: “You shall not pass through.” And immediately he went out against them, with an immense multitude, and with a strong hand,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M
3 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Non not ADV
5 transibis you shall pass through 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 Statimque and immediately ADV
7 egressus having gone out NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
8 est he was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 obvius against NOM.SG.M
10 cum with PREP+ABL
11 infinita immense ABL.SG.F
12 multitudo multitude NOM.SG.F
13 et and CONJ
14 manu hand ABL.SG.F
15 forti strong ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: At ille respondit introduces Edom’s final refusal.

Subject: ille functions as the subject referring back to Edom or its king.

Direct Speech: Non transibis expresses an emphatic prohibition against Israel’s passage.

Main Clause: Statimque egressus est obvius describes Edom’s immediate hostile response.

Predicate Expression: obvius functions predicatively, indicating movement out to confront Israel.

Phrase: cum infinita multitudine expresses accompaniment by a very large force.

Phrase: et manu forti expresses military strength or forceful power accompanying the confrontation.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: introduces sharp contrast with Israel’s peaceful assurances.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine demonstrative; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: refers to the ruler or representative of Edom.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “answered”; Notes: introduces Edom’s definitive reply.
  4. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates transibis; Translation: “not”; Notes: gives emphatic force to the refusal.
  5. transibis — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of direct speech; Translation: “you shall pass through”; Notes: functions as a forceful denial of passage.
  6. Statimque — Lemma: statim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable with enclitic conjunction; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “and immediately”; Notes: the enclitic -que tightly links the military response to the refusal.
  7. egressus — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: part of compound perfect deponent construction; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: the deponent form carries active meaning of military advance.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing egressus; Translation: “he was”; Notes: forms the perfect tense together with the participle.
  9. obvius — Lemma: obvius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “against”; Notes: in this context it means coming out to confront or oppose.
  10. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces accompaniment phrase; Translation: “with”; Notes: expresses military accompaniment.
  11. infinita — Lemma: infinitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine positive; Function: modifies multitudine; Translation: “immense”; Notes: emphasizes the overwhelming size of the force.
  12. multitudo — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “multitude”; Notes: refers to a large assembled company or army.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins the two accompaniment phrases.
  14. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative phrase of means or power; Translation: “hand”; Notes: idiomatically refers to strength, force, or military power.
  15. forti — Lemma: fortis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine positive; Function: modifies manu; Translation: “strong”; Notes: emphasizes military might and determination.

 

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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