Numeri 22:17 (Numbers 22:17)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:17 paratus sum honorare te, et quidquid volueris dabo tibi: veni, et maledic populo isti.

I am prepared to honor you, and whatever you desire I shall give to you. Come, and curse this people.’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 paratus prepared NOM.SG.M
2 sum I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 honorare to honor PRES.ACT.INF
4 te you ACC.SG
5 et and CONJ
6 quidquid whatever ACC.SG.N.REL
7 volueris you shall have wished 2SG.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ
8 dabo I shall give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 tibi to you DAT.SG
10 veni come 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
11 et and CONJ
12 maledic curse 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
13 populo people DAT.SG.M
14 isti this DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: paratus sum honorare te — declarative statement expressing Balac’s readiness to reward Balaam.

Predicate Construction: paratus sum — predicate adjective with copulative verb expressing readiness.

Infinitival Complement: honorare te — infinitive phrase dependent upon paratus sum.

Coordinated Clause: et quidquid volueris dabo tibi — promise clause offering unrestricted reward.

Relative Clause: quidquid volueris — clause functioning as the object of dabo.

Imperative Clause: veni, et maledic populo isti — direct appeal commanding Balaam to come and curse the people.

Dative Object: populo isti — indirect object governed by maledic.

Morphology

  1. paratus — Lemma: paro; Part of Speech: participial adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle used adjectivally; Function: predicate adjective with sum; Translation: “prepared”; Notes: Expresses readiness or willingness to act.
  2. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Links the subject with the predicate adjective.
  3. honorare — Lemma: honoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on paratus sum; Translation: “to honor”; Notes: Implies rewarding Balaam with distinction or wealth.
  4. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of honorare; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Balaam as recipient of honor.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the promise of honor with the promise of gifts.
  6. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of dabo; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: Expresses unrestricted generosity.
  7. volueris — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “you shall have wished”; Notes: Indicates a wish completed prior to fulfillment.
  8. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the promise clause; Translation: “I shall give”; Notes: Expresses a firm future promise.
  9. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of dabo; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks Balaam as recipient of the promised reward.
  10. veni — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: “come”; Notes: Direct appeal addressed to Balaam.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the imperative verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects coming with cursing.
  12. maledic — Lemma: maledico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: “curse”; Notes: Governs a dative object in Latin usage.
  13. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of maledic; Translation: “people”; Notes: Refers collectively to Israel.
  14. isti — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies populo; Translation: “this”; Notes: Demonstrative with a pointed or emphatic nuance.

 

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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