Numeri 16:13 (Numbers 16:13)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:13 numquid parum est tibi quod eduxisti nos de terra, quæ lacte et melle manabat, ut occideres in deserto, nisi et dominatus fueris nostri?

Is it too little for you that you have brought us out of a land which was flowing with milk and honey, so that you might kill us in the wilderness, unless you also rule over us?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 numquid is it ADV
2 parum too little ADJ NOM.SG.N
3 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 tibi for you PRON DAT.SG
5 quod that CONJ
6 eduxisti you have led out 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 nos us PRON ACC.PL
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 terra land NOUN ABL.SG.F
10 quæ which PRON REL NOM.SG.F
11 lacte milk NOUN ABL.SG.N
12 et and CONJ
13 melle honey NOUN ABL.SG.N
14 manabat was flowing 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
15 ut so that CONJ
16 occideres you might kill 2SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 deserto wilderness NOUN ABL.SG.N
19 nisi unless CONJ
20 et also ADV
21 dominatus having ruled PTCP NOM.SG.M
22 fueris you will have been 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
23 nostri over us PRON GEN.PL

Syntax

Interrogative Clause: numquid parum est tibi — rhetorical question expecting a negative answer

Subject Clause: quod eduxisti nos de terra — content explaining the complaint

Relative Clause: quæ lacte et melle manabat — describes the land

Purpose Clause: ut occideres in deserto — expresses accusation of intent

Conditional Clause: nisi et dominatus fueris nostri — expresses additional grievance

Morphology

  1. numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: invariable; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: is it; Notes: expects a negative answer.
  2. parum — Lemma: parum; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate; Translation: too little; Notes: used impersonally.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: forms impersonal expression.
  4. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: for you; Notes: indicates the person addressed.
  5. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces clause; Translation: that; Notes: explanatory clause.
  6. eduxisti — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect tense active voice indicative mood second person singular; Function: verb; Translation: you have led out; Notes: refers to past action.
  7. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object; Translation: us; Notes: refers to the group speaking.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces source; Translation: from; Notes: expresses origin.
  9. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: land; Notes: refers to place of origin.
  10. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: which; Notes: refers to terra.
  11. lacte — Lemma: lac; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: milk; Notes: part of idiom.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links nouns; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  13. melle — Lemma: mel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: honey; Notes: part of idiom describing abundance.
  14. manabat — Lemma: mano; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: verb; Translation: was flowing; Notes: continuous past action.
  15. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: expresses intent.
  16. occideres — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect tense active voice subjunctive mood second person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: you might kill; Notes: expresses intended result.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: locative sense.
  18. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: wilderness; Notes: refers to desert region.
  19. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces condition; Translation: unless; Notes: expresses exception.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: also; Notes: adds emphasis.
  21. dominatus — Lemma: dominor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect deponent participle nominative singular masculine; Function: part of periphrastic form; Translation: having ruled; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  22. fueris — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect tense active voice indicative mood second person singular; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: you will have been; Notes: forms compound tense with participle.
  23. nostri — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: objective genitive; Translation: over us; Notes: indicates those ruled over.

 

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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