Numeri 32:17 (Numbers 32:17)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:17 nos autem ipsi armati et accincti pergemus ad prælium ante filios Israel, donec introducamus eos ad loca sua. Parvuli nostri, et quidquid habere possumus, erunt in urbibus muratis, propter habitatorum insidias.

But we ourselves, armed and equipped, will proceed to battle before the sons of Israel, until we bring them to their own places. Our little ones, and whatever we may possess, will remain in fortified cities because of the ambushes of the inhabitants.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nos we NOM.PL.PERS
2 autem but CONJ.INVAR
3 ipsi ourselves NOM.PL.M.DEM
4 armati armed NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
5 et and CONJ.INVAR
6 accincti equipped NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
7 pergemus we will proceed 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 prælium battle ACC.SG.N
10 ante before PREP+ACC
11 filios the sons ACC.PL.M
12 Israel of Israel INDECL
13 donec until CONJ.INVAR
14 introducamus we bring 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
15 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS.OBJ
16 ad to PREP+ACC
17 loca places ACC.PL.N
18 sua their own ACC.PL.N.POSS
19 Parvuli the little ones NOM.PL.M
20 nostri our NOM.PL.M.POSS
21 et and CONJ.INVAR
22 quidquid whatever ACC.SG.N.INDEF.OBJ
23 habere to possess PRES.ACT.INF
24 possumus we may possess 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
25 erunt will be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
26 in in PREP+ABL
27 urbibus cities ABL.PL.F
28 muratis fortified ABL.PL.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
29 propter because of PREP+ACC
30 habitatorum of the inhabitants GEN.PL.M
31 insidias ambushes ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: nos autem ipsi armati et accincti pergemus ad prælium ante filios Israel states the tribes’ commitment to fight. nos is the subject, reinforced by ipsi, while pergemus is the finite verb.

Circumstantial Participles: armati et accincti agree with nos ipsi and describe the speakers as armed and equipped for battle.

Prepositional Phrase: ad prælium modifies pergemus and expresses the purpose or destination of their advance: they will proceed to battle.

Prepositional Phrase: ante filios Israel modifies pergemus and indicates that they will advance before the rest of the sons of Israel.

Temporal Clause: donec introducamus eos ad loca sua states how long their military commitment will continue. introducamus is a present subjunctive, eos is its direct object, and ad loca sua expresses the destination.

Second Main Clause: Parvuli nostri, et quidquid habere possumus, erunt in urbibus muratis describes those and those possessions that will remain behind. Parvuli nostri and the substantive clause quidquid habere possumus together form the compound subject of erunt.

Indefinite Relative Construction: quidquid habere possumus means “whatever we may possess.” quidquid is the direct object of habere, while habere is the complementary infinitive governed by possumus.

Prepositional Phrase: in urbibus muratis modifies erunt. The participle muratis agrees with urbibus and describes the cities as fortified.

Causal Phrase: propter habitatorum insidias explains why the children and possessions must remain in fortified cities. propter governs insidias, while habitatorum is a genitive identifying those who might set the ambushes.

Morphology

  1. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Nominative plural, first person; Function: Subject of pergemus; Translation: “we”; Notes: The expressed pronoun emphasizes that the fighting men themselves will accompany Israel.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable connective conjunction; Function: Marks a contrast between those remaining behind and those going to battle; Translation: “but”; Notes: It shifts attention from the protected families to the armed men.
  3. ipsi — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Intensive modifier of nos; Translation: “ourselves”; Notes: It stresses that the speakers personally will take part in the campaign.
  4. armati — Lemma: armo; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Nominative plural masculine, perfect passive participle, first conjugation; Function: Circumstantial modifier agreeing with nos ipsi; Translation: “armed”; Notes: It describes the men as furnished with weapons for battle.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects armati and accincti; Translation: “and”; Notes: It joins two complementary descriptions of military readiness.
  6. accincti — Lemma: accingo; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Nominative plural masculine, perfect passive participle, third conjugation; Function: Circumstantial modifier agreeing with nos ipsi; Translation: “equipped”; Notes: Literally referring to being girded, it denotes readiness and equipment for military service.
  7. pergemus — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb of the first clause; Translation: “we will proceed”; Notes: It expresses their promise to advance with the other Israelites.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ad prælium; Translation: “to”; Notes: It expresses the destination or purpose of their advance.
  9. prælium — Lemma: prælium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “battle”; Notes: It refers to the military campaign for possession of the land.
  10. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ante filios Israel; Translation: “before”; Notes: It indicates that the armed men intend to go at the front of Israel’s forces.
  11. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Object of ante; Translation: “the sons”; Notes: Refers collectively to the other Israelites participating in the campaign.
  12. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Completes the expression filios Israel; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Identifies the covenant people whom the speakers promise to accompany.
  13. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the temporal clause; Translation: “until”; Notes: It marks the point at which their obligation to fight alongside Israel will end.
  14. introducamus — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, present active subjunctive, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the temporal clause; Translation: “we bring”; Notes: The subjunctive presents the anticipated future endpoint of their participation.
  15. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of introducamus; Translation: “them”; Notes: It refers to the sons of Israel who are to be brought into their allotted territories.
  16. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ad loca sua; Translation: “to”; Notes: It marks the destination toward which Israel is to be brought.
  17. loca — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “places”; Notes: The plural refers to the respective territories allotted to the tribes.
  18. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural neuter, positive degree; Function: Modifier of loca; Translation: “their own”; Notes: The reflexive possessive refers back to eos, indicating the territories belonging to them.
  19. Parvuli — Lemma: parvulus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantivally; Form: Nominative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: First element of the compound subject of erunt; Translation: “the little ones”; Notes: Used substantivally, it refers to the speakers’ children and young dependants.
  20. nostri — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of Parvuli; Translation: “our”; Notes: It identifies the children as belonging to the speakers’ households.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects Parvuli nostri with quidquid habere possumus; Translation: “and”; Notes: It joins the families and possessions as those remaining behind.
  22. quidquid — Lemma: quisquis; Part of Speech: Indefinite pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of habere within a substantive indefinite relative construction; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: It refers collectively to anything the speakers possess.
  23. habere — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive, second conjugation; Function: Complementary infinitive dependent on possumus; Translation: “to possess”; Notes: It describes possession broadly rather than identifying a particular class of property.
  24. possumus — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, present active indicative, irregular; Function: Finite verb of the indefinite relative construction; Translation: “we may possess”; Notes: Together with habere, it conveys the sense of all the property belonging to the speakers.
  25. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, future active indicative; Function: Main verb of the second sentence; Translation: “will be”; Notes: In context it means that the children and possessions will remain within the fortified cities.
  26. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces in urbibus muratis; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative, it indicates a fixed location.
  27. urbibus — Lemma: urbs; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine, third declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: “cities”; Notes: These are the protected settlements in which the families and possessions will remain.
  28. muratis — Lemma: muro; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Ablative plural feminine, perfect passive participle, first conjugation; Function: Modifier of urbibus; Translation: “fortified”; Notes: Literally “walled,” it describes settlements protected against hostile attack.
  29. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the causal phrase propter habitatorum insidias; Translation: “because of”; Notes: It gives the reason for keeping the vulnerable members of the community inside fortified settlements.
  30. habitatorum — Lemma: habitator; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine, third declension; Function: Genitive modifying insidias; Translation: “of the inhabitants”; Notes: It refers to the local inhabitants who might threaten those remaining behind.
  31. insidias — Lemma: insidiæ; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: Object of the preposition propter; Translation: “ambushes”; Notes: The plural noun denotes hostile plots, attacks, or ambushes against the families left in the cities.

 

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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