Numeri 14:4 (Numbers 14:4)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:4 Dixeruntque alter ad alterum: Constituamus nobis ducem, et revertamur in Ægyptum.

And they said one to another, “Let us appoint for ourselves a leader, and let us return into Egypt.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixeruntque and they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCLITIC
2 alter one NOM.SG.M.PRON
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 alterum another ACC.SG.M.PRON
5 Constituamus let us appoint 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
6 nobis for ourselves DAT.PL.PERS.PRON
7 ducem leader ACC.SG.M.NOUN
8 et and CONJ
9 revertamur let us return 1PL.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
10 in into PREP+ACC
11 Ægyptum Egypt ACC.SG.F.PROPN

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixeruntque is the main verb, with implied subject “they.”

Reciprocal Phrase: alter ad alterum expresses mutual communication, “one to another.”

Hortatory Subjunctive Clause 1: Constituamus nobis ducem — proposal with ducem as direct object and nobis as dative of advantage.

Hortatory Subjunctive Clause 2: revertamur in Ægyptum — coordinated proposal expressing intended action.

Morphology

  1. Dixeruntque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they said; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this clause tightly to the preceding narrative.
  2. alter — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: part of reciprocal expression; Translation: one; Notes: Used with alterum to express mutual interaction.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces object of direction; Translation: to; Notes: Indicates direction toward another person.
  4. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: another; Notes: Completes the reciprocal phrase.
  5. Constituamus — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present subjunctive active; Function: hortatory subjunctive; Translation: let us appoint; Notes: Expresses collective proposal.
  6. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: for ourselves; Notes: Dative of advantage.
  7. ducem — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: leader; Notes: Refers to a new appointed leader.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Connects two proposals.
  9. revertamur — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present subjunctive deponent; Function: hortatory subjunctive; Translation: let us return; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: indicates motion; Translation: into; Notes: Expresses direction.
  11. Ægyptum — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: Egypt; Notes: Destination of return.

 

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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