Numeri 14:25 (Numbers 14:25)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:25 Quoniam Amalecites et Chananæus habitant in vallibus. Cras movete castra, et revertimini in solitudinem per viam Maris rubri.

For the Amalekite and the Chananite dwell in the valleys. Tomorrow move the camp, and return into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quoniam for CONJ
2 Amalecites Amalekite NOM.SG.M
3 et and CONJ
4 Chananæus Canaanite NOM.SG.M
5 habitant they dwell 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 vallibus valleys ABL.PL.F
8 Cras tomorrow ADV
9 movete move 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
10 castra camp ACC.PL.N
11 et and CONJ
12 revertimini return 2PL.PRES.DEP.IMP.MOOD
13 in into PREP+ACC
14 solitudinem wilderness ACC.SG.F
15 per through PREP+ACC
16 viam way ACC.SG.F
17 Maris of the Sea GEN.SG.N
18 rubri Red GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Causal Clause: Quoniam Amalecites et Chananæus habitant in vallibus gives the reason, with a compound subject and plural verb, and in vallibus indicating location.

Imperative Clause 1: Cras movete castra commands action, with castra as the direct object.

Imperative Clause 2: et revertimini in solitudinem gives a second command with a deponent imperative verb.

Prepositional Phrase: per viam Maris rubri specifies the route.

Morphology

  1. Quoniam — Lemma: quoniam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces causal clause; Translation: for; Notes: Provides reason for the commands.
  2. Amalecites — Lemma: Amalecites; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, Greek-derived declension; Function: Part of compound subject; Translation: Amalekite; Notes: Greek-derived form in -ites is nominative singular, not plural. The expected Latin plural would be Amalecitae. Here it functions as a collective singular referring to the Amalekite people.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects subjects; Translation: and; Notes: Links two coordinated elements.
  4. Chananæus — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: Part of compound subject; Translation: Chananite; Notes: Singular ethnonym used collectively for the Canaanite people.
  5. habitant — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural present active indicative; Function: Main verb of clause; Translation: they dwell; Notes: Plural verb agrees with compound subject of collective nouns.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing ablative; Function: Introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates position.
  7. vallibus — Lemma: vallis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative feminine plural, third declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: valleys; Notes: Specifies geographical setting.
  8. Cras — Lemma: cras; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal modifier; Translation: tomorrow; Notes: Indicates time of command.
  9. movete — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural present active imperative; Function: Command; Translation: move; Notes: Direct instruction.
  10. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative neuter plural; Function: Direct object; Translation: camp; Notes: Plural form with singular meaning in context.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects commands; Translation: and; Notes: Links sequential actions.
  12. revertimini — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural present deponent imperative; Function: Command; Translation: return; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing accusative; Function: Introduces motion; Translation: into; Notes: Indicates direction.
  14. solitudinem — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: wilderness; Notes: Destination of movement.
  15. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing accusative; Function: Introduces path; Translation: through; Notes: Indicates route.
  16. viam — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative feminine singular, first declension; Function: Object of per; Translation: way; Notes: Specifies path.
  17. Maris — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive neuter singular, third declension; Function: Modifies viam; Translation: of the Sea; Notes: Identifies the body of water.
  18. rubri — Lemma: ruber; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Genitive neuter singular; Function: Modifies Maris; Translation: Red; Notes: Specifies the Red Sea.

 

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.