Numeri 11:12 (Numbers 11:12)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:12 Numquid ego concepi omnem hanc multitudinem, vel genui eam, ut dicas mihi: Porta eos in sinu tuo sicut portare solet nutrix infantulum, et defer in terram, pro qua iurasti patribus eorum?

Did I conceive all this multitude, or did I beget it, that You should say to me: Carry them in your bosom as a nurse is accustomed to carry a little infant, and bear them into the land for which You swore to their fathers?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Numquid did ADV
2 ego I NOM.SG.PERS.PRON
3 concepi conceived 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 omnem all ACC.SG.F
5 hanc this ACC.SG.F.DEM.PRON
6 multitudinem multitude ACC.SG.F
7 vel or CONJ
8 genui begot 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 eam her ACC.SG.F.PERS.PRON
10 ut that CONJ
11 dicas You should say 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 mihi to me DAT.SG.PERS.PRON
13 Porta carry 2SG.IMP.MOOD.ACT
14 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS.PRON
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 sinu bosom ABL.SG.M
17 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
18 sicut just as CONJ
19 portare to carry PRES.ACT.INF
20 solet is accustomed 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
21 nutrix nurse NOM.SG.F
22 infantulum little infant ACC.SG.M
23 et and CONJ
24 defer bear 2SG.IMP.MOOD.ACT
25 in into PREP+ACC
26 terram land ACC.SG.F
27 pro for PREP+ABL
28 qua which ABL.SG.F.REL
29 iurasti You swore 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
30 patribus to the fathers DAT.PL.M
31 eorum their GEN.PL.PERS.PRON

Syntax

Main Question: ego is the explicit subject, and concepi and genui are coordinated verbs. omnem hanc multitudinem and eam function as their direct objects. Numquid marks the whole clause as a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer.

Purpose / Result Clause: ut dicas mihi introduces the consequence being challenged. dicas is the subjunctive verb, and mihi is the indirect object.

First Command within Direct Speech: Porta eos in sinu tuo contains the imperative Porta, the direct object eos, and the prepositional phrase in sinu tuo indicating the manner or place of carrying.

Comparative Clause: sicut portare solet nutrix infantulum compares the commanded action to a nurse’s customary action. nutrix is the subject of solet, portare is the complementary infinitive, and infantulum is its direct object.

Second Command: et defer in terram adds another imperative. in terram expresses motion toward the destination.

Relative Clause: pro qua iurasti patribus eorum modifies terram. qua is governed by pro, iurasti is the verb, and patribus eorum is the dative phrase indicating those to whom the oath was sworn.

Morphology

  1. Numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a rhetorical question; Translation: did; Notes: it signals that the expected answer is negative.
  2. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular personal pronoun; Function: explicit subject of concepi and genui; Translation: I; Notes: the pronoun is expressed for emphasis.
  3. concepi — Lemma: concipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect active indicative; Function: first main verb of the rhetorical question; Translation: conceived; Notes: it uses maternal imagery to deny parental origin of the people.
  4. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudinem; Translation: all; Notes: it stresses the totality of the people as one whole burden.
  5. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudinem; Translation: this; Notes: it points emphatically to the present crowd.
  6. multitudinem — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of concepi; Translation: multitude; Notes: the collective noun underscores the overwhelming size of the people.
  7. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates the alternative verb; Translation: or; Notes: it joins two parental metaphors in parallel.
  8. genui — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect active indicative; Function: second main verb of the rhetorical question; Translation: begot; Notes: it adds paternal imagery to complete the denial of parenthood.
  9. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine personal pronoun; Function: direct object of genui; Translation: her; Notes: it refers back to multitudinem as a feminine collective noun.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces the dependent clause after the rhetorical question; Translation: that; Notes: it presents what God is saying as the challenged consequence.
  11. dicas — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of the dependent clause; Translation: You should say; Notes: the subjunctive stands after ut in a dependent construction.
  12. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular personal pronoun; Function: indirect object of dicas; Translation: to me; Notes: it marks Moyses as the one addressed by the command.
  13. Porta — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative; Function: imperative in direct speech; Translation: carry; Notes: it begins the quoted command with force and immediacy.
  14. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine personal pronoun; Function: direct object of Porta; Translation: them; Notes: it refers to the people as individuals needing to be borne.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the phrase of carrying; Translation: in; Notes: with the ablative it indicates position or enclosure.
  16. sinu — Lemma: sinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 4th declension; Function: object of in; Translation: bosom; Notes: it evokes intimate, protective carrying close to the body.
  17. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies sinu; Translation: your; Notes: it personalizes the burden imposed on Moyses.
  18. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces the comparison; Translation: just as; Notes: it frames the nurse analogy.
  19. portare — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with solet; Translation: to carry; Notes: it expresses the customary action of the nurse.
  20. solet — Lemma: soleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of the comparative clause; Translation: is accustomed; Notes: it highlights habitual action rather than a single act.
  21. nutrix — Lemma: nutrix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: subject of solet; Translation: nurse; Notes: the image intensifies the tenderness expected of Moyses.
  22. infantulum — Lemma: infantulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of portare; Translation: little infant; Notes: the diminutive form emphasizes weakness and dependence.
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the second imperative to the first; Translation: and; Notes: it extends the command from carrying to bringing.
  24. defer — Lemma: defero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative; Function: second imperative in direct speech; Translation: bear; Notes: it adds the idea of transporting all the way to the destination.
  25. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces motion toward a destination; Translation: into; Notes: with the accusative it marks movement into the promised land.
  26. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: land; Notes: it refers to the promised destination of the people.
  27. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the relative phrase; Translation: for; Notes: here it has the sense “concerning” or “with regard to.”
  28. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro and modifier of terram; Translation: which; Notes: it links the land to the oath sworn concerning it.
  29. iurasti — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: You swore; Notes: the perfect points to the completed divine oath in the past.
  30. patribus — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: dative with iurasti; Translation: to the fathers; Notes: it identifies the ancestral recipients of the divine promise.
  31. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural personal pronoun; Function: modifies patribus; Translation: their; Notes: it ties the present multitude to its ancestral line.

 

 

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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