Numeri 22:13 (Numbers 22:13)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:13 Qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes: Ite in terram vestram, quia prohibuit me Dominus venire vobiscum.

And he, rising early in the morning, said to the princes: “Go into your land, because the LORD has forbidden me to come with you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui he NOM.SG.M.REL
2 mane early in the morning ADV
3 consurgens rising PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
4 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 principes princes ACC.PL.M
7 Ite go 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 terram land ACC.SG.F
10 vestram your ACC.SG.F
11 quia because CONJ
12 prohibuit has forbidden 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 me me ACC.SG
14 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
15 venire to come PRES.ACT.INF
16 vobiscum with you ABL.PL

Syntax

Main Clause: Qui mane consurgens dixit ad principes — narrative clause describing Balaam speaking to the princes after rising early.

Participial Phrase: mane consurgens — circumstantial participial expression describing the timing of Balaam’s action.

Prepositional Phrase: ad principes — phrase indicating the recipients of Balaam’s statement.

Imperative Clause: Ite in terram vestram — direct command instructing the envoys to return home.

Prepositional Phrase: in terram vestram — phrase expressing destination.

Causal Clause: quia prohibuit me Dominus venire vobiscum — subordinate clause explaining the reason for Balaam’s refusal.

Infinitival Construction: me venire vobiscum — accusative and infinitive construction dependent on prohibuit.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: connective relative referring to Balaam; Translation: “he”; Notes: Functions as a narrative continuation equivalent to “and he.”
  2. mane — Lemma: mane; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb; Function: modifies consurgens; Translation: “early in the morning”; Notes: Indicates the early hour of Balaam’s action.
  3. consurgens — Lemma: consurgo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the subject; Translation: “rising”; Notes: Describes Balaam’s action immediately preceding his speech.
  4. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces Balaam’s direct statement.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: introduces the recipients of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates direction toward the envoys.
  6. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “princes”; Notes: Refers to the leading representatives sent by Balac.
  7. Ite — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: “go”; Notes: Direct instruction addressed to the envoys.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates destination.
  9. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the homeland of the envoys.
  10. vestram — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates possession or belonging.
  11. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces the causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains the reason for Balaam’s refusal.
  12. prohibuit — Lemma: prohibeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the causal clause; Translation: “has forbidden”; Notes: Expresses divine prohibition.
  13. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: subject of the infinitive venire; Translation: “me”; Notes: Part of the accusative and infinitive construction.
  14. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of prohibuit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers here to YHWH and therefore translated as “LORD.”
  15. venire — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive dependent on prohibuit; Translation: “to come”; Notes: Describes the forbidden action.
  16. vobiscum — Lemma: vos + cum; Part of Speech: pronoun with enclitic preposition; Form: ablative plural; Function: accompaniment phrase linked to venire; Translation: “with you”; Notes: The enclitic -cum is attached directly to the pronoun.

 

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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