Numeri 31:51 (Numbers 31:51)

Posted on May 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 31:51 Susceperuntque Moyses, et Eleazar sacerdos omne aurum in diversis speciebus,

And Moyses and Eleazar the priest received all the gold in its various forms,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Susceperuntque and they received 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 et and CONJ.INVAR
4 Eleazar Eleazar NOM.SG.M.INDECL
5 sacerdos the priest NOM.SG.M.APPOS
6 omne all ACC.SG.N
7 aurum the gold ACC.SG.N.OBJ
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 diversis various ABL.PL.F
10 speciebus forms ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Moyses et Eleazar sacerdos is the compound subject of Susceperuntque. The enclitic -que attached to Susceperunt connects this statement with the preceding verse.

Apposition: sacerdos stands in apposition to Eleazar and identifies his office.

Direct Object: omne aurum is the direct object of Susceperuntque. The adjective omne agrees with the neuter singular noun aurum and emphasizes the totality of the gold received.

Prepositional Phrase: in diversis speciebus modifies aurum or the action of receiving and describes the gold as consisting of various forms or kinds of objects.

Morphology

  1. Susceperuntque — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, third conjugation, with enclitic -que; Function: Main verb of the sentence; Translation: “and they received”; Notes: The perfect tense presents the reception of the gold as a completed action, while -que links it closely to the preceding statement.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: First element of the compound subject of Susceperuntque; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: The nominative form identifies Moyses as one of the two recipients of the gold.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects Moyses and Eleazar; Translation: “and”; Notes: It joins the two persons who together perform the action.
  4. Eleazar — Lemma: Eleazar; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, indeclinable; Function: Second element of the compound subject of Susceperuntque; Translation: “Eleazar”; Notes: The name is indeclinable in this form and is further identified by sacerdos.
  5. sacerdos — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Apposition to Eleazar; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: It identifies Eleazar by his priestly office.
  6. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter, positive degree, third declension; Function: Modifier of aurum; Translation: “all”; Notes: It agrees with aurum and stresses that the entire amount of gold was received.
  7. aurum — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: Direct object of Susceperuntque; Translation: “the gold”; Notes: It refers collectively to the gold ornaments offered by the military officers.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces in diversis speciebus; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative, it describes the forms or categories in which the gold existed.
  9. diversis — Lemma: diversus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative plural feminine, positive degree, first and second declension; Function: Modifier of speciebus; Translation: “various”; Notes: It indicates diversity among the forms of the gold objects.
  10. speciebus — Lemma: species; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine, fifth declension; Function: Object of the preposition in; Translation: “forms”; Notes: It refers to the different types or shapes of gold ornaments enumerated in the preceding verse.

 

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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