Numeri 2:2 (Numbers 2:2)

Posted on April 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 2:2 Singuli per turmas, signa, atque vexilla, et domos cognationum suarum castrametabuntur filii Israel, per gyrum tabernaculi fœderis.

The sons of Israel shall encamp each according to their companies, signs, and standards, and according to the houses of their clans, around the tabernacle of the covenant.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Singuli each NOM.PL.M
2 per according to PREP+ACC
3 turmas companies ACC.PL.F
4 signa signs ACC.PL.N
5 atque and also CONJ
6 vexilla standards ACC.PL.N
7 et and CONJ
8 domos houses ACC.PL.F
9 cognationum of clans GEN.PL.F
10 suarum their GEN.PL.F
11 castrametabuntur they will encamp 3PL.FUT.DEP.IND
12 filii sons NOM.PL.M
13 Israel Israel INDECL
14 per around PREP+ACC
15 gyrum circle ACC.SG.M
16 tabernaculi of tabernacle GEN.SG.N
17 fœderis of covenant GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: filii Israel (subject) + castrametabuntur (main verb).

Distributive Modifier: Singuli — emphasizes that each group of the people encamps individually according to its organization.

Prepositional Phrase of Arrangement: per turmas, signa, atque vexilla, et domos cognationum suarum — describes the ordered military and familial structure of the camp.

Locational Phrase: per gyrum tabernaculi fœderis — indicates the circular arrangement surrounding the tabernacle of the covenant.

Morphology

  1. Singuli — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: distributive adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural masculine first-class adjective; Function: distributive modifier of the subject; Translation: each; Notes: emphasizes individual tribal groupings within the camp.
  2. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces phrase indicating distribution or arrangement; Translation: according to; Notes: marks organizational grouping.
  3. turmas — Lemma: turma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine first declension; Function: object of per; Translation: companies; Notes: denotes military or tribal group divisions.
  4. signa — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: coordinated object within the distributive phrase; Translation: signs; Notes: refers to identifying emblems or markers.
  5. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: and also; Notes: stylistic connective linking parallel items.
  6. vexilla — Lemma: vexillum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: additional coordinated object; Translation: standards; Notes: military banners identifying divisions.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: and; Notes: links further elements of the phrase.
  8. domos — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine fourth declension; Function: object within the distributive phrase; Translation: houses; Notes: refers to household divisions of the tribes.
  9. cognationum — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine third declension; Function: genitive modifier of domos; Translation: of clans; Notes: denotes extended family groupings.
  10. suarum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural feminine agreeing with cognationum; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: their; Notes: refers to the clans belonging to each tribe.
  11. castrametabuntur — Lemma: castrametor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future deponent indicative third person plural first conjugation; Function: main verb of the sentence; Translation: they will encamp; Notes: deponent verb meaning to lay out or establish a camp.
  12. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine second declension; Function: subject of castrametabuntur; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to the people descended from Yisraʾel.
  13. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitival relationship with filii; Translation: Israel; Notes: the covenant nation.
  14. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: introduces spatial phrase; Translation: around; Notes: indicates the perimeter of encampment.
  15. gyrum — Lemma: gyrus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object of per; Translation: circle; Notes: idiomatic expression meaning surrounding perimeter.
  16. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter second declension; Function: genitive dependent on gyrum; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: refers to the sacred tent of meeting.
  17. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter third declension; Function: genitive modifier of tabernaculi; Translation: of covenant; Notes: identifies the sanctuary associated with the covenant testimony.

 

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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