Numeri 14:6 (Numbers 14:6)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:6 At vero Iosue filius Nun, et Caleb filius Iephone, qui et ipsi lustraverant terram, sciderunt vestimenta sua,

But truly Josue son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephone, who also themselves had explored the land, tore their garments.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 vero truly ADV
3 Iosue Joshua NOM.SG.M.PROPN
4 filius son NOM.SG.M.NOUN
5 Nun Nun GEN.SG.M.INDECL.PROPN
6 et and CONJ
7 Caleb Caleb NOM.SG.M.INDECL.PROPN
8 filius son NOM.SG.M.NOUN
9 Iephone Jephunneh GEN.SG.M.INDECL.PROPN
10 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL.PRON
11 et also ADV
12 ipsi themselves NOM.PL.M.PERS.PRON
13 lustraverant had explored 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND
14 terram land ACC.SG.F.NOUN
15 sciderunt tore 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
16 vestimenta garments ACC.PL.N.NOUN
17 sua their ACC.PL.N.POSS.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Iosue filius Nun et Caleb filius Iephone form the compound subject; sciderunt is the main verb; vestimenta sua is the direct object.

Apposition: filius Nun and filius Iephone are in apposition to Iosue and Caleb respectively, identifying lineage.

Relative Clause: qui et ipsi lustraverant terram modifies the compound subject, providing background action completed prior to the main verb.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable conjunction; Function: adversative connector; Translation: but; Notes: Introduces contrast with the previous reaction of the people.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifier; Translation: truly; Notes: Strengthens the contrast and highlights the following subject.
  3. Iosue — Lemma: Iosue; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject; Translation: Josue; Notes: Latin form of Joshua.
  4. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: apposition; Translation: son; Notes: Specifies lineage.
  5. Nun — Lemma: Nun; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: Nun; Notes: Identifies the father of Iosue.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the two subjects.
  7. Caleb — Lemma: Caleb; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject; Translation: Caleb; Notes: Companion of Iosue.
  8. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: apposition; Translation: son; Notes: Repeated to maintain parallel structure.
  9. Iephone — Lemma: Iephone; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: Jephone; Notes: Identifies Caleb’s father.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers back to both Iosue and Caleb.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: additive emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: Emphasizes inclusion.
  12. ipsi — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine intensive; Function: emphasizes subject; Translation: themselves; Notes: Stresses personal participation.
  13. lustraverant — Lemma: lustro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: had explored; Notes: Indicates prior action before tearing garments.
  14. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: land; Notes: Refers to the land surveyed.
  15. sciderunt — Lemma: scindo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: tore; Notes: Expresses a completed act of grief or protest.
  16. vestimenta — Lemma: vestimentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: garments; Notes: Object of tearing.
  17. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vestimenta; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive possession referring to the subjects.

 

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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