Numeri 32:5 (Numbers 32:5)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:5 precamurque si invenimus gratiam coram te, ut des nobis famulis tuis eam in possessionem, nec facias nos transire Iordanem.

and we ask, if we have found favour before you, that you give it to us, your servants, as a possession, and that you not make us cross the Jordan.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 precamurque and we ask 1PL.PRES.DEP.IND
2 si if CONJ.INVAR
3 invenimus we have found 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 gratiam favour ACC.SG.F.OBJ
5 coram before PREP+ABL
6 te you ABL.SG.PERS
7 ut that CONJ.INVAR
8 des you may give 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 nobis to us DAT.PL.PERS.IOBJ
10 famulis servants DAT.PL.M.APPOS
11 tuis your DAT.PL.M.POSS
12 eam it ACC.SG.F.DEM.OBJ
13 in as PREP+ACC
14 possessionem a possession ACC.SG.F
15 nec and not CONJ.INVAR
16 facias you may make 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
17 nos us ACC.PL.PERS
18 transire to cross PRES.ACT.INF
19 Iordanem the Jordan ACC.SG.M.OBJ

Syntax

Main Clause: precamurque is the principal verb, with the first-person plural subject understood from its ending. The enclitic -que connects this request closely with the preceding explanation.

Conditional Clause: si invenimus gratiam coram te expresses the condition under which the request is made. The subject of invenimus is understood as “we,” and gratiam is its direct object.

Prepositional Phrase: coram te modifies invenimus and forms the idiom “to find favour before you.” The preposition coram governs the ablative te.

Content Clause: ut des nobis famulis tuis eam in possessionem states what the speakers request. The conjunction ut introduces the clause, and des is a present subjunctive.

Indirect Object: nobis famulis tuis is the indirect object of des. The noun famulis stands in apposition to nobis, and tuis modifies famulis.

Direct Object: eam is the direct object of des and refers back to the land described in the preceding verse.

Predicative Phrase: in possessionem expresses the intended status or purpose of the land: it is to be given as a permanent possession.

Coordinated Negative Clause: nec facias nos transire Iordanem is coordinated with the preceding ut-clause. The negative conjunction nec carries the force “and that you not.”

Infinitive Construction: nos transire Iordanem depends on facias. The pronoun nos is the accusative subject of the infinitive transire, and Iordanem is the direct object of transire.

Morphology

  1. precamurque — Lemma: precor; Part of Speech: Deponent verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: First person plural, present deponent indicative, first conjugation, with enclitic -que; Function: Main verb of the sentence; Translation: “and we ask”; Notes: The deponent verb has passive form but active meaning, while -que links the petition to the preceding statement.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: It presents the speakers’ finding favour as the courteous basis of their request.
  3. invenimus — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, perfect active indicative, fourth conjugation; Function: Verb of the conditional clause; Translation: “we have found”; Notes: In the idiom invenire gratiam, the verb means to obtain or receive favour.
  4. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: Direct object of invenimus; Translation: “favour”; Notes: The expression denotes approval, goodwill, or gracious acceptance from the person addressed.
  5. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces coram te; Translation: “before”; Notes: It indicates personal presence and forms part of the idiom for finding favour with someone.
  6. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Ablative singular, second person; Function: Object of the preposition coram; Translation: “you”; Notes: It refers to Moyses, to whom the petition is addressed.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the content clause dependent on precamurque; Translation: “that”; Notes: It introduces the specific action requested from Moyses.
  8. des — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person singular, present active subjunctive, first conjugation; Function: Verb of the content clause; Translation: “you may give”; Notes: The subjunctive is required by the clause introduced by ut after the verb of asking.
  9. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative plural, first person; Function: Indirect object of des; Translation: “to us”; Notes: It identifies the speakers as the recipients of the requested territory.
  10. famulis — Lemma: famulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Apposition to nobis; Translation: “servants”; Notes: It presents the petitioners respectfully as subordinate to the person addressed.
  11. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of famulis; Translation: “your”; Notes: It agrees with famulis and strengthens the deferential tone of the request.
  12. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of des; Translation: “it”; Notes: It refers back to the feminine noun terra, the land east of the Jordan.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces in possessionem; Translation: “as”; Notes: With the accusative, it expresses the intended status into which the land is to be given.
  14. possessionem — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: Object of the preposition in; Translation: “a possession”; Notes: It denotes land held as an enduring inheritance or property.
  15. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable negative coordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the negative clause coordinated with the preceding request; Translation: “and not”; Notes: It adds a second request in negative form.
  16. facias — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person singular, present active subjunctive, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the coordinated negative clause; Translation: “you may make”; Notes: With an accusative and infinitive, the verb means to cause or compel someone to perform an action.
  17. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Accusative plural, first person; Function: Accusative subject of transire after facias; Translation: “us”; Notes: It identifies those whom Moyses is asked not to require to cross the river.
  18. transire — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive, irregular compound of eo; Function: Complementary infinitive dependent on facias; Translation: “to cross”; Notes: It describes movement from the eastern side of the Jordan into the land west of the river.
  19. Iordanem — Lemma: Iordanes; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Direct object of transire; Translation: “the Jordan”; Notes: The river marks the geographical boundary the petitioners ask not to be compelled to cross.

 

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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