Numeri 14:2 (Numbers 14:2)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:2 et murmurati sunt contra Moysen et Aaron cuncti filii Israel, dicentes:

and they murmured against Moyses and Aaron, all the sons of Israel, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 murmurati murmured NOM.PL.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
3 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
4 contra against PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M.PROPN
6 et and CONJ
7 Aaron Aaron ACC.SG.M.INDECL
8 cuncti all NOM.PL.M.ADJ
9 filii sons NOM.PL.M.NOUN
10 Israel Israel GEN.SG.INDECL.PROPN
11 dicentes saying NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP

Syntax

Main Clause: cuncti filii Israel is the subject; murmurati sunt is the compound verb (perfect deponent construction).

Object of Preposition: contra Moysen et Aaron expresses opposition directed toward Moysen and Aaron.

Participial Clause: dicentes modifies the subject and introduces indirect speech, explaining the content of the murmuring.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable conjunction; Function: connective; Translation: and; Notes: Links this action with the preceding narrative event.
  2. murmurati — Lemma: murmuro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: part of periphrastic perfect verb with sunt; Translation: having murmured; Notes: Deponent verb with passive form but active meaning.
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb forming perfect tense with murmurati; Translation: they are; Notes: Together with the participle yields “they murmured.”
  4. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces object of opposition; Translation: against; Notes: Indicates hostility or resistance toward persons.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Latinized form of Moses.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable conjunction; Function: coordinates objects; Translation: and; Notes: Joins Moyses and Aaron.
  7. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: object of contra; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Hebrew name retained without declension.
  8. cuncti — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine first and second declension; Function: modifies filii; Translation: all; Notes: Stresses the universality of participation.
  9. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine second declension; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: A standard biblical expression for descendants or members of a people.
  10. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular indeclinable; Function: possessive genitive modifying filii; Translation: Israel; Notes: Indicates national identity rather than biological descent alone.
  11. dicentes — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: introduces indirect discourse; Translation: saying; Notes: Signals the forthcoming content of speech.

 

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.