Numeri 22:3 (Numbers 22:3)

Posted on May 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 22:3 et quod pertimuissent eum Moabitæ, et impetum eius ferre non possent,

and that the Moabites had greatly feared him, and were not able to endure his attack,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 quod that CONJ
3 pertimuissent had greatly feared 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 eum him ACC.SG.M
5 Moabitæ Moabites NOM.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 impetum attack ACC.SG.M
8 eius his GEN.SG.M
9 ferre to endure PRES.ACT.INF
10 non not ADV
11 possent they were able 3PL.IMP.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Coordinated Clause: et quod pertimuissent eum Moabitæ — subordinate content clause explaining the fear experienced by the Moabites.

Subject: Moabitæ — subject of pertimuissent.

Object: eum — direct object referring to Israel in the broader narrative context.

Coordinated Clause: et impetum eius ferre non possent — additional subordinate clause expressing inability to withstand the attack.

Infinitival Construction: impetum eius ferre — infinitive phrase functioning as the complement of possent.

Negation: non — negates the verbal idea expressed by possent.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links this clause to the preceding statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the narrative explanation regarding the Moabites.
  2. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces a content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Commonly used after verbs or expressions involving perception or emotion.
  3. pertimuissent — Lemma: pertimeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: main verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: “had greatly feared”; Notes: The prefix per- intensifies the sense of fear.
  4. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of pertimuissent; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers contextually to Israel as a collective entity.
  5. Moabitæ — Lemma: Moabita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of pertimuissent; Translation: “Moabites”; Notes: Refers to the people of Moab collectively.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two subordinate clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects fear with inability to resist.
  7. impetum — Lemma: impetus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of the infinitive ferre; Translation: “attack”; Notes: Can denote assault, force, or military advance.
  8. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of impetum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates the source or ownership of the attack.
  9. ferre — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on possent; Translation: “to endure”; Notes: Here it carries the sense of bearing or withstanding pressure.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb; Function: negates possent; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard negation particle in Latin prose.
  11. possent — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: governs the infinitive ferre; Translation: “they were able”; Notes: The subjunctive reflects dependence within the subordinate structure.

 

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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