Numeri 10:31 (Numbers 10:31)

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 10:31 Et ille: Noli, inquit, nos relinquere: tu enim nosti in quibus locis per desertum castra ponere debeamus, et eris ductor noster.

And he: “Do not,” he said, “leave us; for you know in which places through the desert we ought to set camps, and you shall be our guide.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM
3 Noli do not 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
4 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 nos us ACC.PL
6 relinquere to leave PRES.ACT.INF
7 tu you NOM.SG
8 enim for CONJ
9 nosti you know 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 quibus which ABL.PL.REL
12 locis places ABL.PL.M
13 per through PREP+ACC
14 desertum desert ACC.SG.N
15 castra camps ACC.PL.N
16 ponere to set PRES.ACT.INF
17 debeamus we ought 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
18 et and CONJ
19 eris you will be 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 ductor guide NOM.SG.M
21 noster our NOM.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause (speech frame): ille (subject) + inquit (verb of speaking).

Imperative Construction: Noli nos relinquere — negative command using Noli + infinitive.

Causal Clause: tu enim nosti — gives reason.

Indirect Question: in quibus locis per desertum castra ponere debeamus — expresses knowledge of locations and obligation.

Coordinate Clause: et eris ductor noster — future statement of role.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective; Translation: and; Notes: Continues narrative.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: he; Notes: Refers to Moyses.
  3. Noli — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person singular; Function: negative command auxiliary; Translation: do not; Notes: Used with infinitive for prohibition.
  4. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: parenthetical speech verb; Translation: he said; Notes: Often inserted within quotations.
  5. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of relinquere; Translation: us; Notes: Object of action.
  6. relinquere — Lemma: relinquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of Noli; Translation: to leave; Notes: Completes prohibition.
  7. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: you; Notes: Emphatic subject.
  8. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: explanatory particle; Translation: for; Notes: Gives reason.
  9. nosti — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you know; Notes: Perfect with present meaning.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: Spatial relation.
  11. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of in; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to places.
  12. locis — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: places; Notes: Locations.
  13. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces path; Translation: through; Notes: Movement across.
  14. desertum — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of per; Translation: desert; Notes: Terrain.
  15. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ponere; Translation: camps; Notes: Encampments.
  16. ponere — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of debeamus; Translation: to set; Notes: Establish camps.
  17. debeamus — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive first person plural; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: we ought; Notes: Obligation in subordinate clause.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Adds statement.
  19. eris — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you will be; Notes: Future role.
  20. ductor — Lemma: ductor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: guide; Notes: Leader or guide.
  21. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies ductor; Translation: our; Notes: Possessive relation.

 

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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