Numeri 14:18 (Numbers 14:18)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:18 Dominus patiens et multæ misericordiæ, auferens iniquitatem et scelera, nullumque innoxium derelinquens, qui visitas peccata patrum in filios in tertiam et quartam generationem.

‘The LORD is patient and of great mercy, taking away iniquity and crimes, and leaving no one innocent, who visits the sins of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generation.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M.NOUN
2 patiens patient NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
3 et and CONJ
4 multæ of much GEN.SG.F.ADJ
5 misericordiæ mercy GEN.SG.F.NOUN
6 auferens taking away NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
7 iniquitatem iniquity ACC.SG.F.NOUN
8 et and CONJ
9 scelera crimes ACC.PL.N.NOUN
10 nullumque no one and ACC.SG.M.INDEF.PRON+ENCLITIC
11 innoxium innocent ACC.SG.M.ADJ
12 derelinquens leaving NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
13 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
14 visitas you visit 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 peccata sins ACC.PL.N.NOUN
16 patrum of fathers GEN.PL.M.NOUN
17 in upon PREP+ACC
18 filios sons ACC.PL.M.NOUN
19 in unto PREP+ACC
20 tertiam third ACC.SG.F.ADJ
21 et and CONJ
22 quartam fourth ACC.SG.F.ADJ
23 generationem generation ACC.SG.F.NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus patiens et multæ misericordiæ — Dominus is the subject; patiens and multæ misericordiæ describe his character.

Participial Phrases:
auferens iniquitatem et scelera — describes divine action of removing sin.
derelinquens nullum innoxium — expresses judgment aspect.

Relative Clause: qui visitas peccata patrum in filios — qui refers to Dominus.

Prepositional Phrase: in tertiam et quartam generationem — indicates extent or duration.

Morphology

  1. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  2. patiens — Lemma: patior; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle (deponent); Function: predicate descriptor; Translation: patient; Notes: Expresses enduring character.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links descriptors.
  4. multæ — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies misericordiæ; Translation: of much; Notes: Expresses abundance.
  5. misericordiæ — Lemma: misericordia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of description; Translation: mercy; Notes: Describes divine attribute.
  6. auferens — Lemma: aufero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: modifier of Dominus; Translation: taking away; Notes: Indicates ongoing action.
  7. iniquitatem — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: iniquity; Notes: Moral wrongdoing.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Connects objects.
  9. scelera — Lemma: scelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: crimes; Notes: Severe wrongdoing.
  10. nullumque — Lemma: nullus; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine with enclitic; Function: object; Translation: no one and; Notes: Emphasizes totality of judgment.
  11. innoxium — Lemma: innoxius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate of object; Translation: innocent; Notes: Completes phrase.
  12. derelinquens — Lemma: derelinquo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: modifier; Translation: leaving; Notes: Indicates withholding acquittal.
  13. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: who; Notes: Refers to Dominus.
  14. visitas — Lemma: visito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: you visit; Notes: Expresses active judgment.
  15. peccata — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: sins; Notes: Moral transgressions.
  16. patrum — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of fathers; Notes: Source of sins.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: direction; Translation: upon; Notes: Indicates transfer.
  18. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object; Translation: sons; Notes: Recipients.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: extent; Translation: unto; Notes: Indicates limit.
  20. tertiam — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies generationem; Translation: third; Notes: Ordinal number.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links ordinals.
  22. quartam — Lemma: quartus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies generationem; Translation: fourth; Notes: Ordinal number.
  23. generationem — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: generation; Notes: Indicates generational span.

 

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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