Numeri 32:21 (Numbers 32:21)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:21 et omnis vir bellator armatus Iordanem transeat, donec subvertat Dominus inimicos suos,

and let every fighting man, armed, cross the Jordan, until the LORD overthrows his enemies.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ.INVAR
2 omnis every NOM.SG.M.ADJ
3 vir man NOM.SG.M
4 bellator fighting NOM.SG.M.APPOS
5 armatus armed NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 Iordanem the Jordan ACC.SG.M.OBJ
7 transeat let him cross 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 donec until CONJ.INVAR
9 subvertat overthrows 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
11 inimicos enemies ACC.PL.M.OBJ
12 suos his ACC.PL.M.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: et omnis vir bellator armatus Iordanem transeat continues Moyses’ instruction from the preceding verse. omnis vir is the subject, bellator further characterizes the man as a warrior, armatus describes him as armed, and transeat is a jussive subjunctive expressing the command “let him cross.”

Subject: omnis vir bellator is the subject of transeat. omnis modifies vir, while bellator stands in apposition to vir and identifies him specifically as a fighting man.

Participial Modifier: armatus agrees with vir and describes the warrior as armed and prepared for military service.

Direct Object: Iordanem is the direct object of transeat. The verb transeo can take an accusative object for the place or obstacle crossed.

Temporal Clause: donec subvertat Dominus inimicos suos marks the endpoint of the commanded action. Dominus is the subject, subvertat is the verb, and inimicos suos is the direct object.

Direct Object: inimicos suos is governed by subvertat. The reflexive possessive suos refers back to Dominus, identifying the enemies as the LORD’s enemies.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects this command with Moyses’ preceding instruction; Translation: “and”; Notes: It continues the conditions under which the tribes are to fulfil their military obligation.
  2. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine, positive degree, third declension; Function: Modifier of vir; Translation: “every”; Notes: It makes the obligation comprehensive, applying individually to every man qualified for battle.
  3. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject of transeat; Translation: “man”; Notes: It denotes each individual man who is able to participate in the military campaign.
  4. bellator — Lemma: bellator; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Apposition to vir; Translation: “fighting man”; Notes: It specifies vir as a warrior or one engaged in warfare.
  5. armatus — Lemma: armo; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine, perfect passive participle, first conjugation; Function: Participial modifier agreeing with vir; Translation: “armed”; Notes: It describes the warrior as equipped with the weapons required for the campaign.
  6. Iordanem — Lemma: Iordanes; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Direct object of transeat; Translation: “the Jordan”; Notes: The river is the geographical boundary the warriors must cross to join the campaign in the land west of it.
  7. transeat — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, present active subjunctive, irregular compound of eo; Function: Jussive subjunctive expressing Moyses’ command; Translation: “let him cross”; Notes: The subjunctive has directive force, continuing the instruction begun with pergite in the preceding verse.
  8. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the temporal clause; Translation: “until”; Notes: It marks the anticipated point at which the warriors’ obligation will have achieved its purpose.
  9. subvertat — Lemma: subverto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, present active subjunctive, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the temporal clause introduced by donec; Translation: “overthrows”; Notes: The subjunctive presents the LORD’s defeat of the enemies as the anticipated endpoint of the campaign.
  10. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject of subvertat; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH as the one who ultimately defeats Israel’s enemies.
  11. inimicos — Lemma: inimicus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Direct object of subvertat; Translation: “enemies”; Notes: Used substantivally, it denotes those opposing the LORD and Israel in the campaign.
  12. suos — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of inimicos; Translation: “his”; Notes: The reflexive possessive refers to Dominus, characterizing those opposed to Israel as the LORD’s own enemies.

 

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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