Numeri 22:12 (Numbers 22:12)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:12 Dixitque Deus ad Balaam: Noli ire cum eis, neque maledicas populo: quia benedictus est.

And God said to Balaam: “Do not go with them, and do not curse the people, because it is blessed.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 Deus God NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Balaam Balaam INDECL
5 Noli do not be willing 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
6 ire to go PRES.ACT.INF
7 cum with PREP+ABL
8 eis them ABL.PL.M
9 neque and not CONJ
10 maledicas you may curse 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 populo people DAT.SG.M
12 quia because CONJ
13 benedictus blessed NOM.SG.M
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Deus ad Balaam — narrative clause introducing the divine command.

Negative Imperative Construction: Noli ire cum eis — prohibition formed with Noli and infinitive.

Prepositional Phrase: cum eis — phrase expressing accompaniment.

Coordinated Negative Clause: neque maledicas populo — prohibition against cursing the people.

Dative Object: populo — indirect object governed by maledicas.

Causal Clause: quia benedictus est — clause explaining the reason for the prohibition.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative + enclitic coordinating conjunction; Function: main narrative verb linking the statement to the previous context; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Introduces direct divine speech.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dixitque; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the true God addressing Balaam.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: introduces the recipient of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates direction toward Balaam.
  4. Balaam — Lemma: Balaam; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “Balaam”; Notes: Foreign proper name preserved without declension.
  5. Noli — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: forms a negative command with the infinitive; Translation: “do not be willing”; Notes: Standard Latin construction for prohibitions.
  6. ire — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on Noli; Translation: “to go”; Notes: Expresses the forbidden action.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative case; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Indicates association with the messengers.
  8. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of the preposition cum; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the delegation sent by Balac.
  9. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative conjunction; Function: joins two prohibitions; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Strengthens the prohibition by adding a second restriction.
  10. maledicas — Lemma: maledico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active subjunctive; Function: jussive or prohibitive subjunctive; Translation: “you may curse”; Notes: Used negatively after neque to express prohibition.
  11. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of maledicas; Translation: “people”; Notes: Refers collectively to Israel.
  12. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces the causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains the reason for God’s command.
  13. benedictus — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: participial adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “blessed”; Notes: Indicates divine favor resting upon the people.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links the subject with the predicate adjective.

 

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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