Numeri 5:21 (Numbers 5:21)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5:21 his maledictionibus subiacebis: Det te Dominus in maledictionem, exemplumque cunctorum in populo suo: putrescere faciat femur tuum, et tumens uterus tuus disrumpatur.

you shall be subject to these curses: “May the LORD make you into a curse, and an example of all among His people; may He cause your thigh to rot, and your swelling womb to burst.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 his these ABL.PL.F.DEM
2 maledictionibus curses ABL.PL.F
3 subiacebis you shall be subject 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
4 Det may he give 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 te you ACC.SG
6 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
7 in into PREP+ACC
8 maledictionem curse ACC.SG.F
9 exemplumque and example ACC.SG.N
10 cunctorum of all GEN.PL.M
11 in among PREP+ABL
12 populo people ABL.SG.M
13 suo His ABL.SG.M.POSS
14 putrescere to rot PRES.ACT.INF
15 faciat may he cause 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
16 femur thigh ACC.SG.N
17 tuum your ACC.SG.N.POSS
18 et and CONJ
19 tumens swelling PTCP.PRES.NOM.SG.M
20 uterus womb NOM.SG.M
21 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS
22 disrumpatur may burst 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause: his maledictionibus subiacebis, with subiacebis as the verb and his maledictionibus as the ablative complement indicating subjection.

Jussive Clause: Det te Dominus in maledictionem exemplumque cunctorum, with Dominus as subject and Det expressing a jussive wish. in maledictionem exemplumque functions as predicate accusatives.

Phrase: in populo suo indicates location or sphere.

Jussive Clause: faciat putrescere femur tuum, with infinitive putrescere dependent on faciat.

Jussive Clause: et tumens uterus tuus disrumpatur, with uterus tuus as subject and disrumpatur as passive subjunctive verb.

Morphology

  1. his — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies maledictionibus; Translation: these; Notes: refers to specified curses.
  2. maledictionibus — Lemma: maledictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 3rd declension; Function: complement with subiacebis; Translation: curses; Notes: denotes penalties invoked.
  3. subiacebis — Lemma: subiaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative, 2nd conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall be subject; Notes: expresses submission under penalty.
  4. Det — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive, 1st conjugation; Function: jussive verb; Translation: may he give; Notes: expresses wish or imprecation.
  5. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of Det; Translation: you; Notes: refers to accused woman.
  6. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the accusative; Function: introduces result; Translation: into; Notes: expresses transformation.
  8. maledictionem — Lemma: maledictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: curse; Notes: denotes outcome.
  9. exemplumque — Lemma: exemplum; Part of Speech: noun with enclitic; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: second predicate accusative; Translation: and example; Notes: indicates warning to others.
  10. cunctorum — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies implied group; Translation: of all; Notes: universal scope.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: among; Notes: expresses sphere.
  12. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: people; Notes: covenant community.
  13. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies populo; Translation: His; Notes: refers to divine possession.
  14. putrescere — Lemma: putresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive, 3rd conjugation; Function: complement of faciat; Translation: to rot; Notes: expresses result of curse.
  15. faciat — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive, 3rd conjugation; Function: jussive verb; Translation: may he cause; Notes: expresses imprecatory wish.
  16. femur — Lemma: femur; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of faciat; Translation: thigh; Notes: body part affected.
  17. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies femur; Translation: your; Notes: personal reference.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues curse.
  19. tumens — Lemma: tumeo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies uterus; Translation: swelling; Notes: describes condition.
  20. uterus — Lemma: uterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject; Translation: womb; Notes: subject of final clause.
  21. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies uterus; Translation: your; Notes: personal reference.
  22. disrumpatur — Lemma: disrumpo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive subjunctive, 3rd conjugation; Function: jussive verb; Translation: may burst; Notes: expresses imprecatory outcome.

 

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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