Numeri 21:27 (Numbers 21:27)

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 21:27 Idcirco dicitur in Proverbio: Venite in Hesebon, ædificetur, et construatur civitas Sehon:

Therefore it is said in the Proverb: “Come into Hesebon; let the city of Sehon be built and established;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Idcirco therefore ADV
2 dicitur it is said 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 Proverbio Proverb ABL.SG.N
5 Venite come 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
6 in into PREP+ACC
7 Hesebon Hesebon INDECL
8 ædificetur let be built 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
9 et and CONJ
10 construatur let be established 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
11 civitas city NOM.SG.F
12 Sehon of Sihon INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Idcirco dicitur in Proverbio introduces a traditional saying or poetic citation.

Source Phrase: in Proverbio identifies the literary source of the quotation.

Imperative Clause: Venite in Hesebon calls hearers to enter Hesebon.

Jussive Subjunctive Clause: ædificetur et construatur civitas Sehon expresses exhortation or desire concerning the city’s establishment.

Subject: civitas Sehon functions as the subject of both passive subjunctive verbs.

Morphology

  1. Idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: inferential adverb; Function: introduces explanatory conclusion; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: connects the proverb with the historical conquest narrative.
  2. dicitur — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative; Function: impersonal introductory verb; Translation: “it is said”; Notes: commonly introduces quotations or traditional sayings.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces source phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: expresses location within a written or spoken source.
  4. Proverbio — Lemma: proverbium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “Proverb”; Notes: refers to a proverbial saying or poetic composition.
  5. Venite — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: command verb; Translation: “come”; Notes: invites or summons hearers to approach Hesebon.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces destination phrase; Translation: “into”; Notes: indicates movement toward a place.
  7. Hesebon — Lemma: Hesebon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: object of in; Translation: “Hesebon”; Notes: major Amorite city later occupied by Israel.
  8. ædificetur — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive subjunctive; Function: jussive verb; Translation: “let be built”; Notes: expresses exhortation or wish concerning the city.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two jussive verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: links building with establishment.
  10. construatur — Lemma: construo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive subjunctive; Function: second jussive verb; Translation: “let be established”; Notes: emphasizes strengthening or reconstruction.
  11. civitas — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of ædificetur and construatur; Translation: “city”; Notes: refers to the fortified settlement of Hesebon.
  12. Sehon — Lemma: Sehon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun; Function: dependent identifier modifying civitas; Translation: “of Sehon”; Notes: identifies the city as belonging to the Amorite king.

 

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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