Numeri 22:26 (Numbers 22:26)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:26 et nihilominus angelus ad locum angustum transiens, ubi nec ad dexteram, nec ad sinistram poterat deviare, obvius stetit.

and nevertheless the angel, passing to a narrow place where it was able to turn aside neither to the right nor to the left, stood opposite.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 nihilominus nevertheless ADV
3 angelus the angel NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 locum the place ACC.SG.M
6 angustum narrow ACC.SG.M
7 transiens passing PTCP.NOM.SG.M
8 ubi where ADV
9 nec neither CONJ
10 ad to PREP+ACC
11 dexteram the right ACC.SG.F
12 nec nor CONJ
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 sinistram the left ACC.SG.F
15 poterat was able 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
16 deviare to turn aside PRES.ACT.INF
17 obvius opposite NOM.SG.M
18 stetit stood 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: angelus (subject) + stetit (main verb).

Adverbial Opening: et nihilominus — introduces continuation with adversative nuance.

Participial Phrase: ad locum angustum transiens — modifies angelus, describing movement into a confined place.

Relative Adverb Clause: ubi nec ad dexteram nec ad sinistram poterat deviare — describes the restrictive condition of the narrow place.

Infinitival Construction: poterat deviare — complementary infinitive expressing inability to turn aside.

Predicate Adjective: obvius — predicate adjective describing the angel’s confronting position.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins this clause to the previous narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues the sequence of events.
  2. nihilominus — Lemma: nihilominus; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies the clause; Translation: “nevertheless”; Notes: introduces persistence despite previous events.
  3. angelus — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of stetit; Translation: “the angel”; Notes: refers to the divine messenger opposing Balaam.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: marks movement into the narrow place.
  5. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: “the place”; Notes: refers to a specific location on the road.
  6. angustum — Lemma: angustus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine positive degree; Function: modifies locum; Translation: “narrow”; Notes: emphasizes the confined character of the place.
  7. transiens — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies angelus; Translation: “passing”; Notes: describes movement into position.
  8. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: relative adverb; Function: introduces locative subordinate clause; Translation: “where”; Notes: specifies the place being described.
  9. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces first negative alternative; Translation: “neither”; Notes: forms part of a correlative negative pair.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: indicates possible turning direction.
  11. dexteram — Lemma: dextera; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: “the right”; Notes: refers to the right-hand side.
  12. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces second negative alternative; Translation: “nor”; Notes: completes the correlative negative construction.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: parallels the earlier directional phrase.
  14. sinistram — Lemma: sinistra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: “the left”; Notes: refers to the left-hand side.
  15. poterat — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: governing verb of infinitive; Translation: “was able”; Notes: expresses ongoing inability.
  16. deviare — Lemma: devio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on poterat; Translation: “to turn aside”; Notes: refers to moving away from the path.
  17. obvius — Lemma: obvius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive degree; Function: predicate adjective with stetit; Translation: “opposite”; Notes: describes the angel confronting Balaam directly.
  18. stetit — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “stood”; Notes: denotes a fixed and deliberate position.

 

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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