Numeri 22:16 (Numbers 22:16)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:16 Qui cum venissent ad Balaam, dixerunt: Sic dicit Balac filius Sephor: Ne cuncteris venire ad me:

When they had come to Balaam, they said: “Thus says Balac son of Sephor: ‘Do not delay to come to me;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
2 cum when CONJ
3 venissent they had come 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Balaam Balaam INDECL
6 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Sic thus ADV
8 dicit says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 Balac Balak INDECL
10 filius son NOM.SG.M
11 Sephor Zippor INDECL
12 Ne do not CONJ
13 cuncteris you may delay 2SG.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
14 venire to come PRES.ACT.INF
15 ad to PREP+ACC
16 me me ACC.SG

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui cum venissent ad Balaam — introductory clause describing the arrival of the envoys.

Temporal Clause: cum venissent ad Balaam — subordinate clause expressing the time of the following speech.

Main Clause: dixerunt — narrative verb introducing the envoys’ message.

Quoted Clause: Sic dicit Balac filius Sephor — formal messenger formula introducing Balac’s words.

Subject: Balac filius Sephor — expanded subject identifying Balac by lineage.

Negative Jussive Clause: Ne cuncteris venire ad me — exhortation urging Balaam not to delay.

Infinitival Complement: venire ad me — infinitive phrase dependent upon cuncteris.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of venissent and dixerunt; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to the envoys previously mentioned.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating temporal conjunction; Function: introduces the temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive in narrative temporal constructions.
  3. venissent — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: “they had come”; Notes: Indicates completed arrival before the following speech.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates movement toward Balaam.
  5. 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.
  6. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “they said”; Notes: Introduces the envoys’ formal message.
  7. Sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb; Function: modifies dicit; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Common introductory formula in official speech.
  8. dicit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of the quoted formula; Translation: “says”; Notes: The present tense gives immediacy to the reported message.
  9. Balac — Lemma: Balac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: subject of dicit; Translation: “Balac”; Notes: Name of the Moabite king.
  10. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to Balac; Translation: “son”; Notes: Identifies Balac according to paternal lineage.
  11. Sephor — Lemma: Sephor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent identifier linked to filius; Translation: “Sephor”; Notes: Name of Balac’s father.
  12. Ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative particle introducing a prohibition; Function: introduces the negative jussive clause; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Used with the subjunctive to express prohibition.
  13. cuncteris — Lemma: cunctor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: second person singular present deponent subjunctive; Function: verb of prohibition; Translation: “you may delay”; Notes: Though deponent in form, it carries active meaning.
  14. venire — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on cuncteris; Translation: “to come”; Notes: Describes the action Balaam is urged not to postpone.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates movement toward Balac.
  16. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Balac speaking through his envoys.

 

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.