Numeri 11:4 (Numbers 11:4)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:4 Vulgus quippe promiscuum, quod ascenderat cum eis, flagravit desiderio, sedens et flens, iunctis sibi pariter filiis Israel, et ait: Quis dabit nobis ad vescendum carnes?

For indeed the mixed multitude that had gone up with them burned with desire, and sitting and weeping, having joined to themselves also the sons of Israel, they said: “Who will give to us to eat meats?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vulgus multitude NOM.SG.N
2 quippe indeed ADV
3 promiscuum mixed NOM.SG.N.ADJ
4 quod which NOM.SG.N.REL
5 ascenderat had gone up 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
6 cum with PREP+ABL
7 eis them ABL.PL.M.PERS.PRON
8 flagravit burned 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 desiderio with desire ABL.SG.N
10 sedens sitting NOM.SG.PTCP.PRES.ACT
11 et and CONJ
12 flens weeping NOM.SG.PTCP.PRES.ACT
13 iunctis having been joined ABL.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
14 sibi to themselves DAT.PL.REFL.PRON
15 pariter likewise ADV
16 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
17 Israel of Israel GEN.INDECL
18 et and CONJ
19 ait they said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
20 Quis who NOM.SG.M.INTERROG
21 dabit will give 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
22 nobis to us DAT.PL.PERS.PRON
23 ad to PREP+ACC
24 vescendum for eating GER.ACC
25 carnes meats ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Vulgus is the subject, modified by promiscuum and the relative clause quod ascenderat cum eis. The verb flagravit governs the ablative desiderio expressing the cause or intensity.

Participial Sequence: sedens et flens describe the state accompanying the action, while iunctis sibi pariter filiis Israel forms an ablative absolute indicating that the sons of Israel were joined with them.

Speech Clause: ait introduces direct discourse. Within it, Quis is the interrogative subject, dabit the verb, nobis the indirect object, and carnes the direct object governed by the gerundive phrase ad vescendum.

Morphology

  1. Vulgus — Lemma: vulgus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: subject of the main verb; Translation: multitude; Notes: often denotes a mixed or common crowd.
  2. quippe — Lemma: quippe; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: emphasizes the statement; Translation: indeed; Notes: adds explanatory force to the narrative.
  3. promiscuum — Lemma: promiscuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies Vulgus; Translation: mixed; Notes: highlights the heterogeneous nature of the group.
  4. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to Vulgus.
  5. ascenderat — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: had gone up; Notes: indicates prior completed action.
  6. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces accompanying phrase; Translation: with; Notes: expresses association.
  7. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of cum; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the main group of Israelites.
  8. flagravit — Lemma: flagro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: burned; Notes: metaphorically expresses intense desire.
  9. desiderio — Lemma: desiderium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: with desire; Notes: explains the motivation of the action.
  10. sedens — Lemma: sedeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular present active; Function: modifies the subject; Translation: sitting; Notes: indicates posture during the action.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects participles; Translation: and; Notes: links actions in sequence.
  12. flens — Lemma: fleo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular present active; Function: modifies the subject; Translation: weeping; Notes: conveys emotional distress.
  13. iunctis — Lemma: iungo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural perfect passive; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: having been joined; Notes: introduces a circumstantial clause.
  14. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural reflexive; Function: indirect object within ablative absolute; Translation: to themselves; Notes: indicates reflexive association.
  15. pariter — Lemma: pariter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies iunctis; Translation: likewise; Notes: stresses equality or inclusion.
  16. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to the Israelites.
  17. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable genitive; Function: modifies filiis; Translation: of Israel; Notes: identifies the covenant people.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues narrative flow.
  19. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces speech; Translation: said; Notes: frequently used for direct speech.
  20. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the question; Translation: who; Notes: initiates inquiry.
  21. dabit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of question; Translation: will give; Notes: expresses expectation or desire.
  22. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to us; Notes: indicates recipients.
  23. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: to; Notes: expresses goal or purpose.
  24. vescendum — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: gerund; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: for eating; Notes: expresses purpose of the action.
  25. carnes — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of implied consumption; Translation: meats; Notes: refers to flesh foods desired by the people.

 

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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