Numeri 1:53 (Numbers 1:53)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:53 Porro Levitæ per gyrum tabernaculi figent tentoria, ne fiat indignatio super multitudinem filiorum Israel, et excubabunt in custodiis tabernaculi testimonii.

Moreover the Levites shall pitch tents around the tabernacle, lest wrath come upon the multitude of the sons of Israel, and they shall keep watch in the guard duties of the tabernacle of the testimony.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Porro moreover ADV
2 Levitæ Levites NOM.PL.M
3 per around PREP+ACC
4 gyrum circle ACC.SG.M
5 tabernaculi of tabernacle GEN.SG.N
6 figent will pitch 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
7 tentoria tents ACC.PL.N
8 ne lest CONJ
9 fiat should occur 3SG.PRES.SUBJ
10 indignatio wrath NOM.SG.F
11 super upon PREP+ACC
12 multitudinem multitude ACC.SG.F
13 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
14 Israel Israel INDECL
15 et and CONJ
16 excubabunt will keep watch 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 custodiis guard duties ABL.PL.F
19 tabernaculi of tabernacle GEN.SG.N
20 testimonii of testimony GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Levitæ (subject) + figent (verb) + tentoria (direct object).

Prepositional Phrase: per gyrum tabernaculi — expresses spatial location, indicating that the Levites camp around the tabernacle.

Purpose Clause: ne fiat indignatio super multitudinem filiorum Israel — negative purpose clause explaining the reason for the Levites’ encampment.

Coordinated Clause: excubabunt + in custodiis tabernaculi testimonii — describes the Levites maintaining guard over the sanctuary.

Morphology

  1. Porro — Lemma: porro; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: discourse connector introducing an additional instruction; Translation: moreover; Notes: commonly used to continue a narrative or command sequence.
  2. Levitæ — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine first declension; Function: subject of figent and excubabunt; Translation: Levites; Notes: priestly tribe responsible for sanctuary service.
  3. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces spatial phrase; Translation: around; Notes: indicates distribution or movement through an area.
  4. gyrum — Lemma: gyrus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object of per; Translation: circle; Notes: idiomatically expresses the surrounding perimeter.
  5. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter second declension; Function: genitive dependent on gyrum; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: indicates the sacred structure at the center of the camp.
  6. figent — Lemma: figo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third person plural third conjugation; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: will pitch; Notes: used for fixing stakes or establishing tents.
  7. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: direct object of figent; Translation: tents; Notes: refers to the Levites’ encampment structures.
  8. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a negative purpose clause; Translation: lest; Notes: signals prevention of an undesirable outcome.
  9. fiat — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive third person singular; Function: verb within the purpose clause; Translation: should occur; Notes: expresses potential occurrence of divine wrath.
  10. indignatio — Lemma: indignatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: subject of fiat; Translation: wrath; Notes: refers to divine displeasure.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: introduces object of the action; Translation: upon; Notes: indicates direction of wrath.
  12. multitudinem — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine third declension; Function: object of super; Translation: multitude; Notes: refers collectively to the entire people.
  13. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine second declension; Function: genitive modifier of multitudinem; Translation: of sons; Notes: identifies the people as descendants of Israel.
  14. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relationship with filiorum; Translation: Israel; Notes: name of the covenant nation.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links coordinated clauses; Translation: and; Notes: connects two duties of the Levites.
  16. excubabunt — Lemma: excubo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third person plural first conjugation; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: will keep watch; Notes: denotes guard duty.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: expresses the sphere of service.
  18. custodiis — Lemma: custodia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine first declension; Function: object of in; Translation: guard duties; Notes: refers to the assigned watches.
  19. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter second declension; Function: genitive modifier of custodiis; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: identifies the location of the guard duty.
  20. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter second declension; Function: genitive dependent on tabernaculi; Translation: of testimony; Notes: refers to the covenant testimony housed within the sanctuary.

 

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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