Numeri 14:9 (Numbers 14:9)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:9 Nolite rebelles esse contra Dominum: neque timeatis populum terræ huius, quia sicut panem ita eos possumus devorare. recessit ab eis omne præsidium: Dominus nobiscum est, nolite metuere.

Do not be rebellious against the LORD, and do not fear the people of this land, because just as bread so we are able to devour them. All protection has departed from them; the LORD is with us, do not fear.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nolite do not 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 rebelles rebellious NOM.PL.M.ADJ
3 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
4 contra against PREP+ACC
5 Dominum LORD ACC.SG.M.NOUN
6 neque and not CONJ
7 timeatis you may fear 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 populum people ACC.SG.M.NOUN
9 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F.NOUN
10 huius this GEN.SG.F.DEM.PRON
11 quia because CONJ
12 sicut just as ADV
13 panem bread ACC.SG.M.NOUN
14 ita so ADV
15 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS.PRON
16 possumus we are able 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
17 devorare to devour PRES.ACT.INF
18 recessit has departed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 ab from PREP+ABL
20 eis them ABL.PL.PERS.PRON
21 omne all NOM.SG.N.ADJ
22 præsidium protection NOM.SG.N.NOUN
23 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M.NOUN
24 nobiscum with us ABL.PL.PERS.PRON+PREP
25 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
26 nolite do not 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
27 metuere to fear PRES.ACT.INF

Syntax

Negative Command: Nolite rebelles esse contra Dominum — prohibition with infinitive esse and predicate adjective rebelles.

Negative Hortatory Clause: neque timeatis populum terræ huius — coordinated prohibition; populum is the object.

Causal Clause: quia sicut panem ita eos possumus devorare — comparison emphasizing ease of conquest.

Main Clause: recessit ab eis omne præsidium — omne præsidium is the subject.

Statement Clause: Dominus nobiscum est — reassurance of divine presence.

Final Command: nolite metuere — repetition for emphasis.

Morphology

  1. Nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: negative command auxiliary; Translation: do not; Notes: Used with infinitive for prohibition.
  2. rebelles — Lemma: rebellis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine third declension; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: rebellious; Notes: Describes subject’s attitude.
  3. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to be; Notes: Completes command construction.
  4. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces object; Translation: against; Notes: Indicates opposition.
  5. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  6. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and not; Notes: Adds second prohibition.
  7. timeatis — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present subjunctive active; Function: hortatory prohibition; Translation: you may fear; Notes: Subjunctive used in negative command.
  8. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: people; Notes: Object of fear.
  9. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the land; Notes: Specifies origin.
  10. huius — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies terræ; Translation: this; Notes: Indicates immediacy.
  11. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: Explains reasoning.
  12. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: comparative; Translation: just as; Notes: Begins comparison.
  13. panem — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of comparison; Translation: bread; Notes: Symbol of ease.
  14. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: correlates with sicut; Translation: so; Notes: Completes comparison.
  15. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to inhabitants.
  16. possumus — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: we are able; Notes: Expresses capability.
  17. devorare — Lemma: devoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to devour; Notes: Metaphor for conquest.
  18. recessit — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: has departed; Notes: Indicates completed withdrawal.
  19. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces separation; Translation: from; Notes: Indicates source.
  20. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of ab; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to enemies.
  21. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies præsidium; Translation: all; Notes: Totality of protection.
  22. præsidium — Lemma: præsidium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: protection; Notes: Defensive support.
  23. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  24. nobiscum — Lemma: nos + cum; Part of Speech: pronoun with enclitic preposition; Form: ablative plural; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with us; Notes: Expresses presence.
  25. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Links subject and complement.
  26. nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: negative command; Translation: do not; Notes: Repeated prohibition.
  27. metuere — Lemma: metuo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to fear; Notes: Completes command.

 

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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