Numeri 14:39 (Numbers 14:39)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:39 Locutusque est Moyses universa verba hæc ad omnes filios Israel, et luxit populus nimis.

And Moyses spoke all these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and having spoken PTCP.NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP+CONJ
2 est he was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 universa all ACC.PL.N
5 verba words ACC.PL.N
6 hæc these DEM.ACC.PL.N
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 omnes all ACC.PL.M
9 filios sons ACC.PL.M
10 Israel Israel GEN.SG.INDECL
11 et and CONJ
12 luxit mourned 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 populus people NOM.SG.M
14 nimis greatly ADV

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Locutusque est Moyses forms the main verbal expression, with Moyses as subject and the deponent construction expressing completed speech.

Object Phrase: universa verba hæc is the direct object, with universa and hæc both modifying verba.

Prepositional Phrase: ad omnes filios Israel indicates the recipients of the speech.

Main Clause 2: et luxit populus nimis introduces a second clause, with populus as subject and luxit as the verb, modified by nimis.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb participle with enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect deponent participle nominative masculine singular with enclitic -que; Function: Part of periphrastic perfect with est; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: Deponent verb expressing completed action, with -que linking clauses.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb; Translation: he was; Notes: Forms perfect tense with Locutusque.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular; Function: Subject; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Leader speaking to the people.
  4. universa — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative neuter plural; Function: Modifies verba; Translation: all; Notes: Emphasizes entirety.
  5. verba — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative neuter plural, second declension; Function: Direct object; Translation: words; Notes: Refers to spoken message.
  6. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative neuter plural; Function: Modifies verba; Translation: these; Notes: Points to specific words.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing accusative; Function: Introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Indicates direction toward recipients.
  8. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Accusative masculine plural; Function: Modifies filios; Translation: all; Notes: Refers to entire group.
  9. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative masculine plural, second declension; Function: Object of ad; Translation: sons; Notes: Refers to descendants.
  10. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular indeclinable; Function: Modifies filios; Translation: Israel; Notes: Indicates national identity.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Joins sequential actions.
  12. luxit — Lemma: lugeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: mourned; Notes: Indicates completed act of grief.
  13. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: Subject of luxit; Translation: people; Notes: Collective noun.
  14. nimis — Lemma: nimis; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies luxit; Translation: greatly; Notes: Intensifies the action.

 

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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