Numeri 32:30 (Numbers 32:30)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:30 Sin autem noluerint transire armati vobiscum in Terram Chanaan, inter vos habitandi accipiant loca.

But if they are unwilling to cross armed with you into the Land of Chanaan, let them receive places to dwell among you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sin but if CONJ.INVAR
2 autem however CONJ.INVAR
3 noluerint they are unwilling 3PL.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 transire to cross PRES.ACT.INF
5 armati armed NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 vobiscum with you ABL.PL.PERS
7 in into PREP+ACC
8 Terram the Land ACC.SG.F
9 Chanaan of Canaan INDECL
10 inter among PREP+ACC
11 vos you ACC.PL.PERS
12 habitandi of dwelling GER.GEN
13 accipiant let them receive 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
14 loca places ACC.PL.N.OBJ

Syntax

Alternative Conditional Clause: Sin autem noluerint transire armati vobiscum in Terram Chanaan states the alternative if the sons of Gad and Ruben refuse to fulfil the condition described in the preceding verse. Sin introduces the contrary alternative, while autem reinforces the contrast.

Verb and Infinitive: noluerint transire means “they are unwilling to cross.” noluerint is the finite verb, and transire is its complementary infinitive.

Participial Modifier: armati agrees with the understood masculine plural subject and specifies that the crossing in question is to be made while armed for battle.

Ablative of Accompaniment: vobiscum means “with you” and indicates that the armed men are expected to cross together with the rest of Israel.

Prepositional Phrase: in Terram Chanaan modifies transire. The preposition in governs the accusative because it expresses motion into the Land of Chanaan.

Main Command: accipiant loca is a jussive subjunctive meaning “let them receive places.” loca is the direct object of accipiant.

Prepositional Phrase: inter vos modifies accipiant or loca and specifies that their allotted dwelling places are to be among the other Israelites.

Gerund: habitandi is a genitive gerund dependent on loca, expressing the purpose or suitability of the places: “places for dwelling.”

Morphology

  1. Sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the contrary alternative to the preceding condition; Translation: “but if”; Notes: It sets out what is to happen if Gad and Ruben do not fulfil their obligation to cross armed into Chanaan.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable connective particle; Function: Reinforces the contrast introduced by Sin; Translation: “however”; Notes: It marks a clear alternative to the successful fulfilment described in the preceding verse.
  3. noluerint — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, future perfect active indicative, irregular; Function: Verb of the conditional clause; Translation: “they are unwilling”; Notes: The future perfect presents their refusal as the condition preceding the alternative disposition of land.
  4. transire — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive, irregular compound of eo; Function: Complementary infinitive dependent on noluerint; Translation: “to cross”; Notes: It refers to crossing into the Land of Chanaan to participate in Israel’s campaign.
  5. armati — Lemma: armo; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Nominative plural masculine, perfect passive participle, first conjugation; Function: Predicative participial modifier of the understood subject; Translation: “armed”; Notes: It specifies the military condition in which the men are expected to cross.
  6. vobiscum — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun with postpositive preposition; Form: Ablative plural, second person, with cum; Function: Ablative of accompaniment modifying transire; Translation: “with you”; Notes: It combines vobis with postpositive cum and refers to crossing alongside the rest of Israel.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces in Terram Chanaan; Translation: “into”; Notes: With the accusative, it expresses motion into the territory of Chanaan.
  8. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: Object of the preposition in; Translation: “the Land”; Notes: It refers to the promised territory west of the Jordan into which the armed men are expected to cross.
  9. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitival specification of Terram; Translation: “of Chanaan”; Notes: The indeclinable proper name identifies the Land into which Israel is to enter.
  10. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces inter vos; Translation: “among”; Notes: It specifies that, in the alternative arrangement, they are to receive dwelling places among the other Israelites.
  11. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Accusative plural, second person; Function: Object of the preposition inter; Translation: “you”; Notes: It refers to the Israelite leaders and, by extension, the people among whom the alternative allotment would be made.
  12. habitandi — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Gerund; Form: Genitive singular; Function: Genitive gerund dependent on loca, expressing purpose or use; Translation: “of dwelling”; Notes: The phrase loca habitandi means “places for dwelling” or “places in which to live.”
  13. accipiant — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, present active subjunctive, third conjugation; Function: Jussive subjunctive forming the main command; Translation: “let them receive”; Notes: The subjunctive gives directive force, prescribing the alternative allotment if they refuse to cross armed.
  14. loca — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: Direct object of accipiant; Translation: “places”; Notes: It denotes allotted locations in which the tribes may dwell among the rest of Israel.

 

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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