Numeri 32:12 (Numbers 32:12)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:12 præter Caleb filium Iephone Cenezæum, et Iosue filium Nun: isti impleverunt voluntatem meam.

Except Caleb the son of Jephone the Cenezaean, and Josue the son of Nun: these fulfilled my will.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 præter except PREP+ACC
2 Caleb Caleb ACC.SG.M.INDECL
3 filium son ACC.SG.M.APPOS
4 Iephone Jephunneh GEN.SG.M.INDECL
5 Cenezæum the Kenizzite ACC.SG.M.ADJ
6 et and CONJ.INVAR
7 Iosue Joshua ACC.SG.M.INDECL
8 filium son ACC.SG.M.APPOS
9 Nun Nun GEN.SG.M.INDECL
10 isti these NOM.PL.M.DEM
11 impleverunt fulfilled 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
12 voluntatem will ACC.SG.F.OBJ
13 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS

Syntax

Exceptional Phrase: præter Caleb filium Iephone Cenezæum, et Iosue filium Nun is a prepositional phrase governed by præter, listing the two exceptions to the preceding judgment. The nouns filium Iephone Cenezæum and filium Nun stand in apposition to Caleb and Iosue respectively.

Main Clause: isti impleverunt voluntatem meam states why Caleb and Iosue are exempt. isti is the subject, impleverunt is the verb, and voluntatem meam is the direct object.

Apposition: filium Iephone Cenezæum identifies Caleb more fully, while filium Nun identifies Iosue.

Morphology

  1. præter — Lemma: præter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable, governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the exception; Translation: “except”; Notes: It excludes Caleb and Iosue from the judgment pronounced on the rest.
  2. Caleb — Lemma: Caleb; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, indeclinable; Function: Object of præter; Translation: “Caleb”; Notes: Caleb remained faithful to the LORD despite the unbelief of the other spies.
  3. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Apposition to Caleb; Translation: “son”; Notes: Identifies Caleb by his family lineage.
  4. Iephone — Lemma: Iephone; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine, indeclinable; Function: Genitive modifying filium; Translation: “Iephone”; Notes: Names Caleb’s father.
  5. Cenezæum — Lemma: Cenezæus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifier of filium (identifying Caleb); Translation: “the Cenezæan”; Notes: Specifies Caleb’s ethnic or clan identity.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects the two exceptions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Caleb with Iosue as the faithful pair.
  7. Iosue — Lemma: Iosue; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, indeclinable; Function: Second object of præter; Translation: “Iosue”; Notes: Iosue would later succeed Moyses as Israel’s leader.
  8. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Apposition to Iosue; Translation: “son”; Notes: Identifies Iosue by his father.
  9. Nun — Lemma: Nun; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine, indeclinable; Function: Genitive modifying filium; Translation: “Nun”; Notes: Names the father of Iosue.
  10. isti — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of impleverunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers specifically to Caleb and Iosue.
  11. impleverunt — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Main verb; Translation: “fulfilled”; Notes: Indicates their complete obedience to the LORD.
  12. voluntatem — Lemma: voluntas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: Direct object of impleverunt; Translation: “will”; Notes: Refers to the LORD’s purpose and command.
  13. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of voluntatem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Agrees with voluntatem and identifies the will as the LORD’s own.

 

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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