Numeri 11:17 (Numbers 11:17)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:17 ut descendam et loquar tibi: et auferam de spiritu tuo, tradamque eis, ut sustentent tecum onus populi, et non tu solus graveris.

that I may descend and speak with you, and I will take from your spirit and will give to them, that they may bear with you the burden of the people, and that you may not be weighed down alone.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ut that CONJ
2 descendam I may descend 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
3 et and CONJ
4 loquar I may speak 1SG.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
5 tibi with you DAT.SG.PERS.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 auferam I will take away 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 spiritu spirit ABL.SG.M
10 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
11 tradamque and I will hand over 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 eis to them DAT.PL.PERS.PRON
13 ut that CONJ
14 sustentent they may sustain 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
15 tecum with you ABL.SG.PERS.PRON
16 onus burden ACC.SG.N
17 populi of the people GEN.SG.M
18 et and CONJ
19 non not ADV
20 tu you NOM.SG.PERS.PRON
21 solus alone NOM.SG.M.ADJ
22 graveris you may be burdened 2SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ

Syntax

First Purpose Clause: ut descendam et loquar tibi expresses divine intention. descendam and loquar are coordinated subjunctives, and tibi marks the one addressed.

Main Verbal Sequence: auferam and tradamque are future indicatives describing what the LORD will do. de spiritu tuo gives the source from which something is taken, and eis is the indirect object receiving it.

Second Purpose Clause: ut sustentent tecum onus populi states the purpose of the gift. sustentent is the verb, onus the direct object, populi a dependent genitive, and tecum expresses shared participation.

Negative Purpose Clause: et non tu solus graveris gives the intended result that Moyses should not bear the burden by himself. tu is the subject, solus modifies it, and graveris is the passive subjunctive.

Morphology

  1. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces the first purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: it governs subjunctive verbs expressing intention.
  2. descendam — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active subjunctive; Function: first verb of the purpose clause; Translation: I may descend; Notes: the subjunctive expresses intended divine action.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates the two subjunctive verbs; Translation: and; Notes: it joins closely related actions.
  4. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present deponent subjunctive; Function: second verb of the purpose clause; Translation: I may speak; Notes: the deponent form is passive in shape but active in meaning.
  5. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular personal pronoun; Function: indirect object with loquar; Translation: with you; Notes: with verbs of speaking the dative marks the one addressed.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects the previous clause to the future actions that follow; Translation: and; Notes: it advances the sequence of divine promises.
  7. auferam — Lemma: aufero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: first main future verb; Translation: I will take away; Notes: it indicates a forthcoming act of taking from one source for redistribution.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the source phrase; Translation: from; Notes: it marks origin or separation.
  9. spiritu — Lemma: spiritus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 4th declension; Function: object of de; Translation: spirit; Notes: here it refers to the empowering spirit associated with leadership.
  10. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies spiritu; Translation: your; Notes: it specifies that the source is the spirit given to Moyses.
  11. tradamque — Lemma: trado; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: second main future verb; Translation: and I will hand over; Notes: the enclitic binds this action tightly to auferam.
  12. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural personal pronoun; Function: indirect object of tradamque; Translation: to them; Notes: it refers to the seventy elders receiving the shared spirit.
  13. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces the second purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: it explains the purpose of the transfer.
  14. sustentent — Lemma: sustineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of the second purpose clause; Translation: they may sustain; Notes: the subjunctive presents the intended effect of shared leadership.
  15. tecum — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular personal pronoun with enclitic -cum; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: it emphasizes shared rather than replaced responsibility.
  16. onus — Lemma: onus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of sustentent; Translation: burden; Notes: it represents the weight of governing the people.
  17. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying onus; Translation: of the people; Notes: it identifies what kind of burden is meant.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the final clause to the previous purpose clause; Translation: and; Notes: it extends the result of shared support.
  19. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates graveris; Translation: not; Notes: it marks the desired avoidance of solitary burden.
  20. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular personal pronoun; Function: subject of graveris; Translation: you; Notes: it is expressed for emphasis.
  21. solus — Lemma: solus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies tu; Translation: alone; Notes: it stresses isolation, which the provision is designed to remove.
  22. graveris — Lemma: gravo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present passive subjunctive; Function: verb of the negative purpose clause; Translation: you may be burdened; Notes: the passive presents Moyses as weighed down by the people’s burden.

 

 

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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