Numeri 11:11 (Numbers 11:11)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:11 et ait ad Dominum: Cur afflixisti servum tuum? quare non invenio gratiam coram te? et cur imposuisti pondus universi populi huius super me?

And he said to the LORD: “Why have You afflicted Your servant? why do I not find favor before You? and why have You placed the burden of all this people upon me?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Dominum the LORD ACC.SG.M
5 Cur why ADV
6 afflixisti have You afflicted 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 servum servant ACC.SG.M
8 tuum Your ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
9 quare why ADV
10 non not ADV
11 invenio do I find 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 gratiam favor ACC.SG.F
13 coram before PREP+ABL
14 te You ABL.SG.PERS.PRON
15 et and CONJ
16 cur why ADV
17 imposuisti have You placed 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 pondus burden ACC.SG.N
19 universi of all GEN.SG.M
20 populi of the people GEN.SG.M
21 huius this GEN.SG.M.DEM.PRON
22 super upon PREP+ACC
23 me me ACC.SG.PERS.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: ait is the main verb, with the implied subject “he,” and ad Dominum is the prepositional phrase marking the addressee.

First Question: Cur afflixisti servum tuum is a direct interrogative clause. Cur introduces the question, afflixisti is the verb, and servum tuum is the direct object.

Second Question: quare non invenio gratiam coram te is another direct interrogative clause. invenio is the finite verb, gratiam is its direct object, and coram te expresses the relational setting “before You.”

Third Question: et cur imposuisti pondus universi populi huius super me asks about the burden laid upon the speaker. imposuisti is the verb, pondus the direct object, universi populi huius a dependent genitive phrase specifying whose burden it is, and super me marks the one upon whom it has been laid.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links this clause to the preceding narrative; Translation: and; Notes: it continues the flow of Moyses’ speech.
  2. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: said; Notes: aio is commonly used for introducing spoken words in narrative.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces the addressee; Translation: to; Notes: it marks direction of speech toward the LORD.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: here Dominum refers to YHWH, so “LORD” is required.
  5. Cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: interrogative adverb introducing the first question; Translation: why; Notes: it expresses complaint and appeal for explanation.
  6. afflixisti — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the first question; Translation: have You afflicted; Notes: the perfect presents the affliction as a completed and felt reality.
  7. servum — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of afflixisti; Translation: servant; Notes: the term emphasizes humility and subordinate status before God.
  8. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies servum; Translation: Your; Notes: it intensifies the complaint by stressing the servant’s belonging to the LORD.
  9. quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: interrogative adverb introducing the second question; Translation: why; Notes: it is near in meaning to cur but adds rhetorical continuation.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates invenio; Translation: not; Notes: it makes the question explicitly one of denied favor.
  11. invenio — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of the second question; Translation: do I find; Notes: the present tense conveys Moyses’ current experience before God.
  12. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: direct object of invenio; Translation: favor; Notes: this word often carries the sense of grace, acceptance, or benevolent regard.
  13. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the relational phrase; Translation: before; Notes: it locates the matter in the LORD’s presence.
  14. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular personal pronoun; Function: object of coram; Translation: You; Notes: the direct second-person address heightens the intimacy and boldness of the prayer.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the third question to the previous one; Translation: and; Notes: it continues the sequence of complaints without pause.
  16. cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: interrogative adverb introducing the third question; Translation: why; Notes: it resumes the accusatory tone of the prayer.
  17. imposuisti — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the third question; Translation: have You placed; Notes: the verb suggests laying a load or burden onto someone.
  18. pondus — Lemma: pondus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of imposuisti; Translation: burden; Notes: it presents leadership as a weight pressing down upon Moyses.
  19. universi — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies populi; Translation: of all; Notes: it stresses the totality of the burden, not merely part of it.
  20. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying pondus; Translation: of the people; Notes: the genitive identifies what kind of burden is meant.
  21. huius — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies populi; Translation: this; Notes: it points emphatically to the specific people presently causing distress.
  22. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces the person burdened; Translation: upon; Notes: it conveys the sense of weight resting on someone.
  23. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular personal pronoun; Function: object of super; Translation: me; Notes: the final position gives the complaint a strong personal emphasis.

 

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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