Numeri 1:19 (Numbers 1:19)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:19 sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi. Numeratique sunt in deserto Sinai.

just as the LORD had commanded Moyses. And they were numbered in the wilderness of Sinai.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sicut just as CONJ
2 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M
5 Numeratique and having been numbered NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 sunt they are / were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 deserto wilderness ABL.SG.N
9 Sinai Sinai INDECL

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi introduces a comparative clause indicating conformity with a prior command.

Verb: præceperat functions as the main verb of the subordinate clause, with Dominus as the subject and Moysi as the indirect object.

Main Clause: Numeratique sunt forms the passive verbal construction meaning “they were numbered.”

Location Phrase: in deserto Sinai is a prepositional phrase expressing the place where the numbering occurred.

Morphology

  1. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable comparative conjunction; Function: introduces a clause of comparison indicating conformity; Translation: just as; Notes: Frequently used in Biblical Latin to introduce clauses referencing divine instruction.
  2. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: The pluperfect expresses an action completed before the counting event.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: LORD; Notes: In biblical usage this title refers to the divine name YHWH.
  4. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of præceperat; Translation: to Moses; Notes: The dative marks the recipient of the divine command.
  5. Numeratique — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: forms a passive periphrastic verb phrase with sunt; Translation: and having been numbered; Notes: The enclitic -que connects this clause smoothly to the preceding statement.
  6. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the passive construction; Translation: they were; Notes: Combined with the perfect passive participle it forms the perfect passive meaning.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces a locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: With the ablative it denotes location.
  8. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: wilderness; Notes: Refers to the desert region where Israel encamped.
  9. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies deserto specifying the location; Translation: Sinai; Notes: The mountain and surrounding wilderness associated with the covenantal revelation.

 

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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