Numeri 14:16 (Numbers 14:16)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:16 Non poterat introducere populum in Terram, pro qua iuraverat: idcirco occidit eos in solitudine.

‘He was not able to bring the people into the land, for which he had sworn; therefore he killed them in the wilderness.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 poterat he was able 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
3 introducere to bring in PRES.ACT.INF
4 populum people ACC.SG.M.NOUN
5 in into PREP+ACC
6 Terram land ACC.SG.F.NOUN
7 pro for PREP+ABL
8 qua which ABL.SG.F.REL.PRON
9 iuraverat he had sworn 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
10 idcirco therefore ADV
11 occidit he killed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS.PRON
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 solitudine wilderness ABL.SG.F.NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Non poterat introducere populum in Terram — poterat is the main verb; introducere is complementary infinitive; populum is the direct object.

Relative Clause: pro qua iuraverat modifies Terram, with qua governed by pro.

Main Clause 2: idcirco occidit eos — occidit is the verb; eos is the direct object.

Prepositional Phrase: in solitudine indicates location.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Negates the verb poterat.
  2. poterat — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he was able; Notes: Expresses ability in past time.
  3. introducere — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to bring in; Notes: Completes meaning of poterat.
  4. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: people; Notes: Refers to Israel as a group.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: expresses motion; Translation: into; Notes: Indicates direction.
  6. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: land; Notes: Destination.
  7. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces phrase; Translation: for; Notes: Indicates reference.
  8. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to Terram.
  9. iuraverat — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: he had sworn; Notes: Indicates prior oath.
  10. idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: therefore; Notes: Introduces conclusion.
  11. occidit — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he killed; Notes: Expresses completed action.
  12. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to the people.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates place.
  14. solitudine — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: wilderness; Notes: Specifies setting.

 

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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