Numeri 14:43 (Numbers 14:43)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:43 Amalecites et Chananæus ante vos sunt, quorum gladio corruetis, eo quod nolueritis acquiescere Domino, nec erit Dominus vobiscum.

The Amalekite and the Chananite are before you, by whose sword you shall fall, because you were unwilling to obey the LORD, and the LORD will not be with you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Amalecites Amalekite NOM.SG.M
2 et and CONJ
3 Chananæus Canaanite NOM.SG.M
4 ante before PREP+ACC
5 vos you ACC.PL.2P.PERS
6 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 quorum whose REL.GEN.PL.M
8 gladio by the sword ABL.SG.M
9 corruetis you shall fall 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
10 eo for this reason ABL.SG.N
11 quod that CONJ
12 nolueritis you were unwilling 2PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
13 acquiescere to obey INF.PRES.ACT
14 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
15 nec and not CONJ
16 erit he will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
18 vobiscum with you ABL.PL.2P.PERS

Syntax

Main Clause: Amalecites et Chananæus sunt forms a compound subject with a plural verb, while ante vos indicates position before the addressees.

Relative Clause: quorum gladio corruetis modifies the compound subject, with gladio expressing means.

Causal Clause: eo quod nolueritis acquiescere Domino gives the reason, with nolueritis in the subjunctive and acquiescere as its complement.

Coordinated Clause: nec erit Dominus vobiscum adds a further negative consequence.

Morphology

  1. Amalecites — Lemma: Amalecites; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, Greek-derived declension; Function: Part of compound subject; Translation: Amalekite; Notes: The ending -ites reflects a Greek loan pattern rather than a standard Latin plural. In such forms, -es marks the nominative singular (as in prophetes, baptistes), not the plural. The true Latin plural would be Amalecitae. Here the singular is used collectively to denote the Amalekite people as a whole, which explains its coordination with another singular ethnic term and the use of a plural verb.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects subjects; Translation: and; Notes: Links two coordinated elements.
  3. Chananæus — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: Part of compound subject; Translation: Chananite; Notes: Singular form used collectively to denote the Canaanite people. Latin frequently uses a singular ethnonym to represent an entire nation.
  4. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing accusative; Function: Introduces spatial relation; Translation: before; Notes: Indicates position ahead.
  5. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Accusative plural second person; Function: Object of ante; Translation: you; Notes: Refers to the addressed group.
  6. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural present active indicative; Function: Main verb; Translation: they are; Notes: The plural verb agrees with the compound subject, which combines two collective singular ethnonyms.
  7. quorum — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Genitive masculine plural; Function: Possessive relative; Translation: whose; Notes: Refers collectively to both peoples.
  8. gladio — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative masculine singular, second declension; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: by the sword; Notes: Indicates the instrument by which the action occurs.
  9. corruetis — Lemma: corruo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural future active indicative; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: you shall fall; Notes: Predicts future defeat.
  10. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative neuter singular; Function: Introduces causal phrase; Translation: for this reason; Notes: Used with quod to form a causal expression.
  11. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces causal clause; Translation: that; Notes: Completes the causal construction.
  12. nolueritis — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural perfect active subjunctive; Function: Verb of causal clause; Translation: you were unwilling; Notes: Subjunctive expresses the reason from the speaker’s perspective.
  13. acquiescere — Lemma: acquiesco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive; Translation: to obey; Notes: Regularly governs the dative of the person obeyed.
  14. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative masculine singular; Function: Indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  15. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses negatively; Translation: and not; Notes: Adds a further negative statement.
  16. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular future active indicative; Function: Verb; Translation: he will be; Notes: Indicates future state.
  17. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular; Function: Subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  18. vobiscum — Lemma: vos + cum; Part of Speech: Pronoun with enclitic preposition; Form: Ablative plural second person; Function: Complement of accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: Standard enclitic construction indicating association.

 

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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