Numeri 21:20 (Numbers 21:20)

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 21:20 De Bamoth, vallis est in regione Moab, in vertice Phasga, quod respicit contra desertum.

From Bamoth there is a valley in the region of Moab, on the summit of Phasga, which looks out toward the wilderness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 Bamoth Bamoth INDECL
3 vallis valley NOM.SG.F
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 regione region ABL.SG.F
7 Moab Moab INDECL
8 in on PREP+ABL
9 vertice summit ABL.SG.M
10 Phasga Pisgah INDECL
11 quod which REL.NOM.SG.N
12 respicit looks out 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 contra toward PREP+ACC
14 desertum wilderness ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: vallis est identifies the presence of a valley.

Departure Phrase: De Bamoth connects the location with the preceding travel itinerary.

Location Phrase: in regione Moab specifies the geographical area in which the valley lies.

Topographical Phrase: in vertice Phasga identifies the elevated location associated with Phasga.

Relative Clause: quod respicit contra desertum describes the orientation of the summit or region toward the wilderness.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces geographical relation; Translation: “from”; Notes: continues the wilderness itinerary sequence.
  2. Bamoth — Lemma: Bamoth; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: object of De; Translation: “Bamoth”; Notes: location connected with the next geographical description.
  3. vallis — Lemma: vallis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “valley”; Notes: refers to a low area or ravine within the region.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: links the subject with its geographical description.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces location phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: expresses place where.
  6. regione — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “region”; Notes: refers to a geographical territory or district.
  7. Moab — Lemma: Moab; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: dependent geographical identifier; Translation: “Moab”; Notes: identifies the territory east of the Jordan.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces topographical phrase; Translation: “on”; Notes: here indicates position upon an elevated location.
  9. vertice — Lemma: vertex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “summit”; Notes: denotes a peak, top, or highest point.
  10. Phasga — Lemma: Phasga; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: modifies vertice; Translation: “Phasga”; Notes: mountain ridge or elevated region overlooking the wilderness.
  11. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: relative nominative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to the summit or associated region.
  12. respicit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “looks out”; Notes: describes geographical orientation or viewpoint.
  13. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces directional phrase; Translation: “toward”; Notes: expresses facing direction.
  14. desertum — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of contra; Translation: “wilderness”; Notes: refers to the desert region lying opposite the summit.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.