Numeri 13:32 (Numbers 13:32)

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 13:32 Alii vero, qui fuerant cum eo, dicebant: Nequaquam ad hunc populum valemus ascendere, quia fortior nobis est.

But others, who had been with him, were saying: “By no means are we able to go up against this people, because it is stronger than us.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Alii others NOM.PL.M
2 vero but CONJ
3 qui who NOM.PL.M REL
4 fuerant had been 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND
5 cum with PREP+ABL
6 eo him ABL.SG.M PERS
7 dicebant they were saying 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
8 Nequaquam by no means ADV
9 ad against PREP+ACC
10 hunc this ACC.SG.M DEM
11 populum people ACC.SG.M
12 valemus we are able 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
13 ascendere to go up PRES.INF.ACT
14 quia because CONJ
15 fortior stronger NOM.SG.M CMPR
16 nobis than us ABL.PL PERS
17 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Alii vero dicebant introduces contrast and ongoing speech.

Relative Clause: qui fuerant cum eo identifies the speakers.

Negative Statement: Nequaquam ad hunc populum valemus ascendere expresses inability.

Causal Clause: quia fortior nobis est gives the reason.

Morphology

  1. Alii — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: others; Notes: Contrasts with Caleb.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: Mild contrast marker.
  3. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers to Alii.
  4. fuerant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third person plural; Function: verb; Translation: had been; Notes: Prior state.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces association; Translation: with; Notes: Accompaniment.
  6. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to Caleb.
  7. dicebant — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they were saying; Notes: Continuous speech.
  8. Nequaquam — Lemma: nequaquam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: by no means; Notes: Strong negation.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object; Translation: against; Notes: Direction or opposition.
  10. hunc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies populum; Translation: this; Notes: Specific reference.
  11. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: people; Notes: Opposing group.
  12. valemus — Lemma: valeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative first person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: we are able; Notes: Expresses ability.
  13. ascendere — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to go up; Notes: Completes meaning.
  14. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: because; Notes: Reason clause.
  15. fortior — Lemma: fortis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine comparative degree; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: stronger; Notes: Comparison.
  16. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: ablative of comparison; Translation: than us; Notes: Comparative construction.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Links subject and predicate.

 

Numeri 13:32 (Numbers 13:32) = Numeri 13:31 (Numbers 13:31)

 

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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