Numeri 13:25 (Numbers 13:25)

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 13:25 qui appellatus est Nehelescol, id est Torrens botri, eo quod botrum portassent inde filii Israel.

which was called Nehelescol, that is, the Torrent of the cluster, because from there the sons of Israel had carried the cluster.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 qui which NOM.SG.M REL
2 appellatus called NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.PASS
3 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Nehelescol Nehelescol (Valley of Eshcol) NOM.SG.M INDECL
5 id that NOM.SG.N DEM
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 Torrens torrent NOM.SG.M
8 botri of the cluster GEN.SG.M
9 eo because ABL.SG.N DEM
10 quod that CONJ
11 botrum cluster ACC.SG.M
12 portassent they had carried 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
13 inde from there ADV
14 filii sons NOM.PL.M
15 Israel Israel GEN.SG.INDECL

Syntax

Relative Clause: qui appellatus est Nehelescol describes the place.

Explanatory Phrase: id est Torrens botri gives the meaning of the name.

Causal Clause: eo quod botrum portassent inde filii Israel explains the reason for the name.

Morphology

  1. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the place.
  2. appellatus — Lemma: appello; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate; Translation: called; Notes: Forms passive construction.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: was; Notes: Completes passive form.
  4. Nehelescol — Lemma: Nehelescol; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular indeclinable; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: Nehelescol; Notes: Name of place. In the Latin Vulgate, Nehelescol is a transliterated compound of the Hebrew Nachal Eshkol, merging the word for a seasonal stream or wadi (nachal) with the word for a cluster (*eshkol*). St. Jerome preserved the Hebrew sound in the name itself but immediately followed it with the clarifying gloss “id est Torrens botri” (that is, the Torrent of the Cluster), accurately rendering the Hebrew nachal as torrens to reflect the specific geography of a watercourse. This structure maintains the phonetic integrity of the original site while ensuring the Latin reader understands the etymological connection to the massive cluster of grapes that the Israelite spies famously harvested and carried from that location.
  5. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: that; Notes: Introduces explanation.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Links phrase.
  7. Torrens — Lemma: torrens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine third declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: torrent; Notes: Explanation.
  8. botri — Lemma: botrus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the cluster; Notes: Specifies type.
  9. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: because; Notes: Introduces reason.
  10. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces clause; Translation: that; Notes: Connects explanation.
  11. botrum — Lemma: botrus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object; Translation: cluster; Notes: Fruit.
  12. portassent — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive third person plural; Function: verb of clause; Translation: they had carried; Notes: Subjunctive in causal clause.
  13. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: from there; Notes: Indicates origin.
  14. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine second declension; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: Agents.
  15. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Israel; Notes: Specifies group.

 

Numeri 13:25 (Numbers 13:25) = Numeri 13:24 (Numbers 13:24)

 

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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