Numeri 32:4 (Numbers 32:4)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:4 terra, quam percussit Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israel, regio uberrima est ad pastum animalium: et nos servi tui habemus iumenta plurima:

the land, which the LORD struck in the sight of the sons of Israe,l is a very fertile region for the pasturing of animals; and we, your servants, have very many beasts;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 terra the land NOM.SG.F
2 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL.OBJ
3 percussit struck 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 conspectu the sight ABL.SG.M
7 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M
8 Israel of Israel INDECL
9 regio a region NOM.SG.F.PRED
10 uberrima very fertile NOM.SG.F.SUPER
11 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 ad for PREP+ACC
13 pastum pasturing ACC.SG.M
14 animalium of animals GEN.PL.N
15 et and CONJ.INVAR
16 nos we NOM.PL.PERS
17 servi servants NOM.PL.M.APPOS
18 tui your NOM.PL.M.POSS
19 habemus have 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
20 iumenta beasts ACC.PL.N.OBJ
21 plurima very many ACC.PL.N.SUPER

Syntax

Main Clause: terra … regio uberrima est is a copular construction. terra is the subject, est is the linking verb, and regio uberrima is the predicate nominative describing the land.

Relative Clause: quam percussit Dominus in conspectu filiorum Israel modifies terra. The relative pronoun quam is the direct object of percussit, while Dominus is its subject.

Prepositional Phrase: in conspectu filiorum Israel modifies percussit and means that the LORD struck the land in the presence of the sons of Israel. The genitive phrase filiorum Israel depends on conspectu.

Predicate: regio uberrima is the predicate nominative after est. The superlative adjective uberrima describes the region as exceedingly fertile.

Purpose Phrase: ad pastum animalium modifies uberrima or the whole predicate and expresses suitability for the feeding or pasturing of animals.

Coordinated Clause: et nos servi tui habemus iumenta plurima is joined to the preceding clause by et. The subject is nos, servi stands in apposition to it, and tui modifies servi.

Direct Object: iumenta plurima is the direct object of habemus. The superlative adjective plurima emphasizes the exceptionally large number of animals possessed by the speakers.

Morphology

  1. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Refers collectively to the places named in the preceding list.
  2. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of percussit; Translation: “which”; Notes: It agrees with its antecedent terra in gender and number but takes the accusative from its role in the relative clause.
  3. percussit — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the relative clause; Translation: “struck”; Notes: In context, it describes the LORD’s defeat of the land’s former inhabitants.
  4. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject of percussit; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the one who gave Israel victory over the territory.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces in conspectu; Translation: “in”; Notes: It forms an idiomatic phrase meaning “in the sight” or “in the presence.”
  6. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine, fourth declension; Function: Object of the preposition in; Translation: “the sight”; Notes: It indicates that Israel witnessed the LORD’s action.
  7. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: Genitive dependent on conspectu; Translation: “of the sons”; Notes: It identifies those in whose presence the land was struck.
  8. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Completes the expression filiorum Israel; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Identifies the covenant people who witnessed the conquest.
  9. regio — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: Predicate nominative with est; Translation: “a region”; Notes: It classifies the named land as a particular kind of territory.
  10. uberrima — Lemma: uber; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine, superlative degree, third declension; Function: Modifier of regio; Translation: “very fertile”; Notes: The superlative stresses the land’s exceptional richness and suitability for grazing.
  11. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, present active indicative; Function: Linking verb joining terra with regio uberrima; Translation: “is”; Notes: It states the land’s present character.
  12. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ad pastum animalium; Translation: “for”; Notes: It expresses purpose or suitability.
  13. pastum — Lemma: pastus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, fourth declension; Function: Object of the preposition ad; Translation: “pasturing”; Notes: It denotes the feeding or grazing of livestock.
  14. animalium — Lemma: animal; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural neuter, third declension; Function: Objective genitive dependent on pastum; Translation: “of animals”; Notes: It specifies the creatures for whose feeding the region was suitable.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects the second main clause to the first; Translation: “and”; Notes: It links the land’s fertility with the speakers’ need for grazing territory.
  16. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Nominative plural, first person; Function: Subject of habemus; Translation: “we”; Notes: The expressed pronoun gives emphasis to the petitioners themselves.
  17. servi — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Apposition to nos; Translation: “servants”; Notes: It presents the speakers respectfully as subordinates of Moyses.
  18. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of servi; Translation: “your”; Notes: It agrees with servi and marks their deferential relationship to the person addressed.
  19. habemus — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, present active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Main verb of the coordinated clause; Translation: “have”; Notes: It states their present possession of a large quantity of livestock.
  20. iumenta — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: Direct object of habemus; Translation: “beasts”; Notes: Refers broadly to domesticated animals and beasts of burden.
  21. plurima — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural neuter, superlative degree; Function: Modifier of iumenta; Translation: “very many”; Notes: The superlative emphasizes the exceptionally large number of animals owned by the speakers.

 

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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