Numeri 11:6 (Numbers 11:6)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:6 Anima nostra arida est, nihil aliud respiciunt oculi nostri nisi Man.

Our soul is dry, our eyes look upon nothing else except Manna.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Anima soul NOM.SG.F
2 nostra our NOM.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
3 arida dry NOM.SG.F.ADJ
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 nihil nothing ACC.SG.N
6 aliud else ACC.SG.N.ADJ
7 respiciunt look upon 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 oculi eyes NOM.PL.M
9 nostri our NOM.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
10 nisi except CONJ
11 Man Manna ACC.INDECL

Syntax

First Clause: Anima nostra is the subject, est the copulative verb, and arida the predicate adjective describing the condition of the soul.

Second Clause: oculi nostri is the subject, respiciunt the verb, and nihil aliud the direct object expressing total negation.

Exception Phrase: nisi Man introduces the sole exception, functioning as a restrictive clause indicating that only Manna is seen.

Morphology

  1. Anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of est; Translation: soul; Notes: represents the inner life or vitality of the people.
  2. nostra — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies Anima; Translation: our; Notes: agrees in gender, number, and case with Anima.
  3. arida — Lemma: aridus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: dry; Notes: metaphorically expresses exhaustion or lack of sustenance.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: is; Notes: links subject and predicate.
  5. nihil — Lemma: nihil; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: nothing; Notes: expresses total negation.
  6. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies nihil; Translation: else; Notes: reinforces exclusivity.
  7. respiciunt — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: look upon; Notes: conveys perception or attention.
  8. oculi — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of respiciunt; Translation: eyes; Notes: literal organ representing focus or desire.
  9. nostri — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies oculi; Translation: our; Notes: agrees with oculi.
  10. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces exception; Translation: except; Notes: restricts the scope of negation.
  11. Man — Lemma: man; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable accusative; Function: object of exception; Translation: Manna; Notes: refers to the miraculous food provided in the wilderness.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.