Numeri 32:6 (Numbers 32:6)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:6 Quibus respondit Moyses: Numquid fratres vestri ibunt ad pugnam, et vos hic sedebitis?

To them Moyses answered: “Will your brothers go to battle, while you sit here?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus to them DAT.PL.M.REL.IOBJ
2 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 Numquid surely not ADV.INVAR
5 fratres brothers NOM.PL.M
6 vestri your NOM.PL.M.POSS
7 ibunt will go 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 pugnam battle ACC.SG.F
10 et while CONJ.INVAR
11 vos you NOM.PL.PERS
12 hic here ADV.INVAR
13 sedebitis will sit 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Quibus respondit Moyses introduces Moyses’ reply. Moyses is the subject, respondit is the verb, and Quibus is the dative indirect object referring to the sons of Ruben and Gad.

Interrogative Main Clause: Numquid fratres vestri ibunt ad pugnam forms the first part of the rhetorical question. The particle Numquid signals that a negative answer is expected. fratres vestri is the subject, and ibunt is the future verb.

Prepositional Phrase: ad pugnam modifies ibunt and expresses the purpose or destination of their going: they will go to battle.

Coordinated Contrasting Clause: et vos hic sedebitis is coordinated with the first interrogative clause. In context, et has a contrasting force, rendered “while.” vos is the emphatic subject, hic modifies sedebitis, and sedebitis is the future verb.

Rhetorical Function: The two clauses contrast the other Israelites’ participation in battle with the proposed inactivity of the tribes of Ruben and Gad.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object of respondit; Translation: “to them”; Notes: It refers back to the sons of Ruben and Gad who had addressed Moyses.
  2. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, perfect active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Main verb introducing the reply; Translation: “answered”; Notes: The perfect tense presents Moyses’ response as the next completed action in the narrative.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Subject of respondit; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: He responds directly to the request made by the two tribes.
  4. Numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: Interrogative adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer; Translation: “surely not”; Notes: The particle conveys Moyses’ disapproval of the apparent proposal.
  5. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, third declension; Function: Subject of ibunt; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: It refers to the members of the other tribes of Israel.
  6. vestri — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of fratres; Translation: “your”; Notes: It emphasizes the kinship and shared obligation between the tribes.
  7. ibunt — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, future active indicative, irregular; Function: Verb of the first interrogative clause; Translation: “will go”; Notes: It refers to the other tribes proceeding into battle.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ad pugnam; Translation: “to”; Notes: It expresses movement toward or engagement in battle.
  9. pugnam — Lemma: pugna; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: Object of the preposition ad; Translation: “battle”; Notes: It denotes the warfare required for Israel to take possession of the promised land.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects the two contrasting interrogative clauses; Translation: “while”; Notes: Though normally meaning “and,” it carries a contrasting sense here because one group would fight while the other remained behind.
  11. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Nominative plural, second person; Function: Subject of sedebitis; Translation: “you”; Notes: The expressed pronoun is emphatic and contrasts the petitioners with their fellow Israelites.
  12. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable adverb of place; Function: Modifies sedebitis; Translation: “here”; Notes: It refers to the territory east of the Jordan where the tribes wished to remain.
  13. sedebitis — Lemma: sedeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural, future active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Verb of the second interrogative clause; Translation: “will sit”; Notes: The verb implies remaining inactive while the other tribes undertake the fighting.

 

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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