Numeri 16:12 (Numbers 16:12)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:12 Misit ergo Moyses ut vocaret Dathan et Abiron filios Eliab. Qui responderunt: Non venimus.

Then Moyses sent to call Dathan and Abiron, sons of Eliab. They answered: “We will not come.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Misit he sent 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo then ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOUN NOM.SG.M
4 ut to CONJ
5 vocaret he might call 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
6 Dathan Dathan NOUN ACC.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 Abiron Abiram NOUN ACC.SG.M
9 filios sons NOUN ACC.PL.M
10 Eliab Eliab NOUN GEN.SG.M
11 Qui they PRON REL NOM.PL.M
12 responderunt answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
13 Non not ADV
14 venimus we come 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Misit Moyses — narrative action (“Moyses sent”)

Adverbial Modifier: ergo — indicates consequence (“then”)

Purpose Clause: ut vocaret — expresses intention (“to call”)

Object: Dathan et Abiron filios Eliab — those being summoned

Relative Clause: Qui responderunt — introduces response

Direct Speech: Non venimus — refusal

Morphology

  1. Misit — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: he sent; Notes: denotes completed action.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: logical connector; Translation: then; Notes: marks consequence from prior statement.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moyses; Notes: normalized nominative form.
  4. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: to; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  5. vocaret — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect tense active voice subjunctive mood third person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: he might call; Notes: expresses intended action.
  6. Dathan — Lemma: Dathan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: Dathan; Notes: one of the summoned individuals.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links nouns; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  8. Abiron — Lemma: Abiron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: Abiron; Notes: paired with Dathan.
  9. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: sons; Notes: clarifies identity.
  10. Eliab — Lemma: Eliab; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Eliab; Notes: specifies lineage.
  11. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: they; Notes: refers to Dathan and Abiron.
  12. responderunt — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect tense active voice indicative mood third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: answered; Notes: introduces response.
  13. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates verb.
  14. venimus — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice indicative mood first person plural; Function: main verb of speech; Translation: we come; Notes: present used for firm refusal.

 

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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