Numeri 5:14 (Numbers 5:14)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5:14 si spiritus zelotypiæ concitaverit virum contra uxorem suam, quæ vel polluta est, vel falsa suspicione appetitur,

if a spirit of jealousy shall have stirred up a man against his wife, who either has been defiled, or is attacked by a false suspicion,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 si if CONJ
2 spiritus spirit NOM.SG.M
3 zelotypiæ of jealousy GEN.SG.F
4 concitaverit shall have stirred up 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
5 virum man ACC.SG.M
6 contra against PREP+ACC
7 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
8 suam his own ACC.SG.F.POSS
9 quæ who NOM.SG.F.REL
10 vel either CONJ
11 polluta defiled PTCP.PERF.NOM.SG.F
12 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 vel or CONJ
14 falsa false ABL.SG.F
15 suspicione suspicion ABL.SG.F
16 appetitur is attacked 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND

Syntax

Conditional Clause: si spiritus zelotypiæ concitaverit virum forms the protasis, with spiritus zelotypiæ as subject and virum as the object affected.

Phrase: contra uxorem suam indicates direction or opposition, specifying the target of jealousy.

Relative Clause: quæ vel polluta est vel falsa suspicione appetitur modifies uxorem, describing two alternative states.

Predicate Structures: polluta est forms a perfect passive construction, while appetitur is a present passive verb with falsa suspicione as an ablative of cause.

Morphology

  1. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: if; Notes: sets up a legal condition.
  2. spiritus — Lemma: spiritus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 4th declension; Function: subject of concitaverit; Translation: spirit; Notes: refers to an inner impulse or emotional state.
  3. zelotypiæ — Lemma: zelotypia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: modifies spiritus; Translation: of jealousy; Notes: specifies the nature of the spirit.
  4. concitaverit — Lemma: concito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative, 1st conjugation; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: shall have stirred up; Notes: expresses completed incitement.
  5. virum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of concitaverit; Translation: man; Notes: indicates the husband affected.
  6. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the accusative; Function: introduces opposition; Translation: against; Notes: expresses direction of hostility.
  7. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: object of contra; Translation: wife; Notes: central figure in the case.
  8. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies uxorem; Translation: his own; Notes: reflexive, referring to the subject.
  9. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers to uxorem.
  10. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces alternative; Translation: either; Notes: pairs with second vel.
  11. polluta — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate with est; Translation: defiled; Notes: implies actual moral impurity.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: is; Notes: forms perfect passive sense with participle.
  13. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: second alternative; Translation: or; Notes: balances first vel.
  14. falsa — Lemma: falsus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies suspicione; Translation: false; Notes: indicates groundless accusation.
  15. suspicione — Lemma: suspicio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: suspicion; Notes: expresses reason for accusation.
  16. appetitur — Lemma: appeto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: verb of second predicate; Translation: is attacked; Notes: denotes being targeted or accused.

 

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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