Numeri 13:34 (Numbers 13:34)

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 13:34 Ibi vidimus monstra quædam filiorum Enac de genere giganteo: quibus comparati, quasi locustæ videbamur.

There we saw certain monsters of the sons of Enac, of the giant race: compared with whom, we seemed like locusts.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ibi there ADV
2 vidimus we saw 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 monstra monsters (Nephilim) ACC.PL.N
4 quædam certain ACC.PL.N INDEF
5 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M
6 Enac Anak GEN.SG.INDECL
7 de of PREP+ABL
8 genere race ABL.SG.N
9 giganteo giant ABL.SG.N
10 quibus to whom ABL.PL.M REL
11 comparati compared NOM.PL.M PTCP.PERF.PASS
12 quasi like ADV
13 locustæ locusts NOM.PL.F
14 videbamur we seemed 1PL.IMP.PASS.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Ibi vidimus monstra quædam introduces observation.

Genitive Phrase: filiorum Enac specifies origin.

Prepositional Phrase: de genere giganteo describes category.

Comparative Clause: quibus comparati sets comparison.

Main Clause: quasi locustæ videbamur expresses perception.

Morphology

  1. Ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: there; Notes: Indicates location.
  2. vidimus — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative first person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: we saw; Notes: Eyewitness action.
  3. monstra — Lemma: monstrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: monsters; Notes: Unusual beings. Jerome chose monstra in Numbers 13:34 (Numbers 13:33) to highlight the ontological “otherness” and psychological terror the Nephilim inspired in the Israelite spies. While he often used gigantes elsewhere, this specific Latin term (derived from monere, meaning “to warn”) characterizes the sons of Anak as unnatural portents or biological anomalies rather than just large humans. By translating the Hebrew נְפִילִים through this lens, Jerome emphasizes a deviation from the natural order that aligns with the Septuagint’s tradition of semi-divine beings while adding a layer of Latin dread. The use of monstra effectively captures the spies’ perception of these figures as terrifying vestiges of a prehistoric era whose immense scale and lineage were seen as a physical manifestation of divine or ancient corruption. This linguistic choice frames the inhabitants of Canaan as supernatural “freaks of nature” to justify the overwhelming fear felt by the Israelites.
  4. quædam — Lemma: quidam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies monstra; Translation: certain; Notes: Indefinite reference.
  5. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the sons; Notes: Lineage.
  6. Enac — Lemma: Enac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Enac; Notes: Ancestor.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces description; Translation: of; Notes: Indicates origin.
  8. genere — Lemma: genus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter third declension; Function: object of de; Translation: race; Notes: Category.
  9. giganteo — Lemma: giganteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies genere; Translation: giant; Notes: Descriptive.
  10. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of comparison; Translation: to whom; Notes: Comparative relation.
  11. comparati — Lemma: comparo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies subject; Translation: compared; Notes: Comparison.
  12. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies clause; Translation: like; Notes: Simile marker.
  13. locustæ — Lemma: locusta; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine first declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: locusts; Notes: Image of smallness.
  14. videbamur — Lemma: videor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect passive indicative first person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: we seemed; Notes: Perception.

 

Numeri 13:34 (Numbers 13:34) = Numeri 13:33 (Numbers 13:33)

 

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.