Numeri 14:41 (Numbers 14:41)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:41 Quibus Moyses: Cur, inquit, transgredimini verbum Domini, quod vobis non cedet in prosperum?

To them Moyses said: “Why, he says, do you transgress the word of the LORD, which will not turn out to prosperity for you?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus to whom REL.DAT.PL.M
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 Cur why ADV
4 inquit he says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 transgredimini you transgress 2PL.PRES.DEP.IND
6 verbum word ACC.SG.N
7 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
8 quod which REL.NOM.SG.N
9 vobis to you DAT.PL.2P.PERS
10 non not ADV
11 cedet will turn out 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 in into PREP+ACC
13 prosperum prosperity ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Quibus Moyses identifies the recipients and speaker, with quibus in the dative referring to those addressed.

Interrogative Clause: Cur transgredimini verbum Domini is the main question, with transgredimini as the verb and verbum Domini as its object.

Parenthetical Verb: inquit introduces the spoken question.

Relative Clause: quod vobis non cedet in prosperum modifies verbum, explaining its consequence.

Prepositional Phrase: in prosperum expresses result or outcome.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative masculine plural; Function: Indirect object; Translation: to whom; Notes: Refers to the addressed group. Quibus is a relative pronoun in the dative plural masculine, acting as a “connecting relative” to link the new sentence to the group mentioned previously. It functions as the indirect object of the speech act, referring specifically to the Israelites who had just decided to move against God’s command. Instead of starting a fresh sentence with a personal pronoun like eīs (“to them”), the Vulgate uses Quibus to create a seamless narrative bridge, effectively translating to “And to them Moses said…” or “To whom Moses said…” to signal his immediate reaction to their rebellion.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular; Function: Subject; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Speaker of the question.
  3. Cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces question; Translation: why; Notes: Interrogative particle.
  4. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Parenthetical verb; Translation: he says; Notes: Used in direct speech reporting.
  5. transgredimini — Lemma: transgredior; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural present deponent indicative; Function: Main verb; Translation: you transgress; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning.
  6. verbum — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative neuter singular, second declension; Function: Direct object; Translation: word; Notes: Refers to divine command.
  7. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive masculine singular; Function: Modifies verbum; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  8. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative neuter singular; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to verbum.
  9. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative plural second person; Function: Indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: Indicates affected party.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: Directly modifies cedet.
  11. cedet — Lemma: cedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: will turn out; Notes: Indicates outcome or result.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing accusative; Function: Introduces result; Translation: into; Notes: Expresses direction toward outcome.
  13. prosperum — Lemma: prosperum; Part of Speech: Noun used adjectivally; Form: Accusative neuter singular; Function: Object of in; Translation: prosperity; Notes: Refers to favorable outcome.

 

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.