Numeri 21:13 (Numbers 21:13)

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 21:13 Quem relinquentes castrametati sunt contra Arnon, quæ est in deserto, et prominet in finibus Amorrhæi. siquidem Arnon terminus est Moab, dividens Moabitas et Amorrhæos.

Leaving that place, they encamped opposite Arnon, which is in the wilderness and extends into the borders of the Amorrhite. For Arnon is the boundary of Moab, dividing the Moabites and the Amorrhites.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quem which REL.ACC.SG.M
2 relinquentes leaving PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
3 castrametati having encamped PERF.DEP.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
4 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 contra opposite PREP+ACC
6 Arnon Arnon INDECL
7 quæ which REL.NOM.SG.F
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 deserto wilderness ABL.SG.N
11 et and CONJ
12 prominet extends 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 in into PREP+ABL
14 finibus borders ABL.PL.M
15 Amorrhæi of the Amorite GEN.SG.M
16 siquidem for indeed CONJ
17 Arnon Arnon INDECL
18 terminus boundary NOM.SG.M
19 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
20 Moab Moab INDECL
21 dividens dividing PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
22 Moabitas Moabites ACC.PL.M
23 et and CONJ
24 Amorrhæos Amorites ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Participial Opening: Quem relinquentes describes departure from the previous location before the encampment.

Main Clause: castrametati sunt contra Arnon expresses the completed act of encamping opposite Arnon.

Location Phrase: contra Arnon identifies the area facing the Arnon region.

Relative Clause: quæ est in deserto et prominet in finibus Amorrhæi describes the geographical nature and extension of the region.

Prepositional Phrase: in finibus Amorrhæi specifies the territorial borders into which the region extends.

Explanatory Clause: siquidem Arnon terminus est Moab explains the importance of Arnon as a boundary marker.

Participial Phrase: dividens Moabitas et Amorrhæos describes the function of Arnon in separating peoples.

Morphology

  1. Quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: relative accusative singular masculine; Function: object of relinquentes; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers back to the previously mentioned torrent or location.
  2. relinquentes — Lemma: relinquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active participle nominative plural masculine; Function: participial modifier of the implied subject; Translation: “leaving”; Notes: indicates departure before the next encampment.
  3. castrametati — Lemma: castrametor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect deponent participle nominative plural masculine; Function: forms compound perfect with sunt; Translation: “having encamped”; Notes: military term describing establishment of camp.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb with castrametati; Translation: “they are”; Notes: completes the perfect tense construction.
  5. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces geographical relation; Translation: “opposite”; Notes: indicates position facing or across from something.
  6. Arnon — Lemma: Arnon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: object of contra; Translation: “Arnon”; Notes: major river boundary east of the Jordan.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: relative nominative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to the implied region or territory near Arnon.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: links the region with its location.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces location phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: expresses place where.
  10. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “wilderness”; Notes: denotes an uninhabited desert region.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two descriptive verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: links location with territorial extension.
  12. prominet — Lemma: promineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: second verb of the relative clause; Translation: “extends”; Notes: conveys geographical projection or extension.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces territorial phrase; Translation: “into”; Notes: here expresses extension within an area.
  14. finibus — Lemma: finis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “borders”; Notes: refers to territorial limits or boundaries.
  15. Amorrhæi — Lemma: Amorrhæus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies finibus; Translation: “of the Amorrhite”; Notes: identifies the territory belonging to the Amorrhites.
  16. siquidem — Lemma: siquidem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: explanatory conjunction; Function: introduces explanatory statement; Translation: “for indeed”; Notes: provides clarification or justification.
  17. Arnon — Lemma: Arnon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: subject of est; Translation: “Arnon”; Notes: the river functioning as a territorial boundary.
  18. terminus — Lemma: terminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “boundary”; Notes: denotes an official border or limit.
  19. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: links Arnon with its defining role.
  20. Moab — Lemma: Moab; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: dependent identifier with terminus; Translation: “Moab”; Notes: identifies the territory whose boundary is described.
  21. dividens — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: participial modifier of Arnon; Translation: “dividing”; Notes: describes the continuing boundary function of the river.
  22. Moabitas — Lemma: Moabita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: first object of dividens; Translation: “Moabites”; Notes: refers to the people of Moab.
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two peoples separated by Arnon; Translation: “and”; Notes: links the two ethnic groups.
  24. Amorrhæos — Lemma: Amorrhæus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: second object of dividens; Translation: “Amorrhites”; Notes: refers to the Amorite people bordering Moab.

 

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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