Numeri 14:31 (Numbers 14:31)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:31 Parvulos autem vestros, de quibus dixistis quod prædæ hostibus forent, introducam: ut videant Terram, quæ vobis displicuit.

But your little ones, about whom you said that they would be a prey to enemies, I will bring in, so that they may see the Land, which displeased you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Parvulos little ones ACC.PL.M
2 autem but CONJ
3 vestros your POSS.ACC.PL.M
4 de about PREP+ABL
5 quibus whom REL.ABL.PL.M
6 dixistis you said 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 quod that CONJ
8 prædæ a prey DAT.SG.F
9 hostibus to enemies DAT.PL.M
10 forent they would be 3PL.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
11 introducam I will bring in 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 ut so that CONJ
13 videant they may see 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
14 Terram the Land ACC.SG.F
15 quæ which REL.NOM.SG.F
16 vobis to you DAT.PL.2P.PERS
17 displicuit displeased 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Parvulos vestros is the direct object, fronted for emphasis, with introducam as the main verb.

Relative Clause: de quibus dixistis modifies Parvulos, with quibus governed by de.

Content Clause: quod prædæ hostibus forent expresses what was said, with forent in the subjunctive as part of indirect discourse.

Purpose Clause: ut videant Terram expresses intended result, with videant in the present subjunctive.

Relative Clause: quæ vobis displicuit modifies Terram, describing the Land as displeasing to the audience.

Morphology

  1. Parvulos — Lemma: parvulus; Part of Speech: Noun used adjectivally; Form: Accusative masculine plural, second declension; Function: Direct object of introducam; Translation: little ones; Notes: Refers to children, emphasizing smallness or vulnerability.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects contrastively with prior statement; Translation: but; Notes: Often placed second in Latin clause structure.
  3. vestros — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative masculine plural; Function: Modifies Parvulos; Translation: your; Notes: Agrees with Parvulos in case, number, and gender.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces relative clause phrase; Translation: about; Notes: Indicates topic or reference.
  5. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Ablative masculine plural; Function: Object of de; Translation: whom; Notes: Refers back to Parvulos.
  6. dixistis — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: you said; Notes: Introduces indirect discourse.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces content clause; Translation: that; Notes: Used for reported speech.
  8. prædæ — Lemma: præda; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative feminine singular, first declension; Function: Predicate dative; Translation: a prey; Notes: Used with forent to express purpose or result (“for prey”).
  9. hostibus — Lemma: hostis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative masculine plural, third declension; Function: Indirect object; Translation: to enemies; Notes: Indicates those who would receive the prey.
  10. forent — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: Verb of indirect statement; Translation: they would be; Notes: Subjunctive reflects reported speech after dixistis.
  11. introducam — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person singular future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb; Translation: I will bring in; Notes: Expresses future divine action.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Governs subjunctive verb videant.
  13. videant — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural present active subjunctive, second conjugation; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may see; Notes: Subjunctive expresses intended outcome.
  14. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative feminine singular, first declension; Function: Direct object of videant; Translation: the Land; Notes: Refers to the promised land.
  15. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative feminine singular; Function: Subject of displicuit; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to Terram.
  16. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative plural second person; Function: Indirect object of displicuit; Translation: to you; Notes: Marks the experiencer of displeasure.
  17. displicuit — Lemma: displiceo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: displeased; Notes: Takes dative of person affected.

 

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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