Numeri 17:5 (Numbers 17:5)

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 17:5 quem ex his elegero, germinabit virga eius: et cohibebo a me querimonias filiorum Israel, quibus contra vos murmurant.

The one whom I shall choose from these, his rod shall sprout; and I will restrain from myself the complaints of the sons of Israel, by which they murmur against you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL
2 ex from PREP+ABL
3 his these ABL.PL
4 elegero I shall have chosen 1SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
5 germinabit shall sprout 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 virga rod NOM.SG.F
7 eius his GEN.SG
8 et and CONJ
9 cohibebo I will restrain 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 a from PREP+ABL
11 me myself ABL.SG
12 querimonias complaints ACC.PL.F
13 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
14 Israel Israel INDECL
15 quibus by which ABL.PL.REL
16 contra against PREP+ACC
17 vos you ACC.PL
18 murmurant they murmur 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Relative Clause: quem ex his elegero — object quem with verb elegero, specifying selection from a group

Main Clause 1: virga eius (subject) + germinabit (verb)

Main Clause 2: cohibebo (verb) + querimonias filiorum Israel (direct object phrase)
Prepositional Phrase: a me — source or separation

Relative Clause 2: quibus contra vos murmurant — explains the complaints
→ murmurant (verb) + contra vos (object of opposition)

Morphology

  1. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of elegero; Translation: whom; Notes: introduces relative clause specifying the chosen individual.
  2. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates source; Translation: from; Notes: denotes selection out of a group.
  3. his — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine/feminine/neuter; Function: object of ex; Translation: these; Notes: refers to the set of candidates.
  4. elegero — Lemma: eligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: I shall have chosen; Notes: expresses completed action prior to main future.
  5. germinabit — Lemma: germino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: shall sprout; Notes: metaphorical sign of divine choice.
  6. virga — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: subject of germinabit; Translation: rod; Notes: symbol of tribal representation.
  7. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/feminine/neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: his; Notes: refers to the selected individual.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: introduces second action.
  9. cohibebo — Lemma: cohibeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: I will restrain; Notes: indicates suppression or stopping.
  10. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: from; Notes: denotes removal from oneself.
  11. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of a; Translation: myself; Notes: emphasizes personal involvement of the speaker.
  12. querimonias — Lemma: querimonia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of cohibebo; Translation: complaints; Notes: refers to grievances or murmuring.
  13. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: modifies querimonias; Translation: of sons; Notes: identifies the source of complaints.
  14. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: Israel; Notes: retains Hebrew form.
  15. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: by which; Notes: refers to complaints as means of action.
  16. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses opposition; Translation: against; Notes: indicates hostility.
  17. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural second person; Function: object of contra; Translation: you; Notes: refers to leadership figures addressed.
  18. murmurant — Lemma: murmuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: they murmur; Notes: describes ongoing complaint or dissent.

 

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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