Numeri 3:23 (Numbers 3:23)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:23 Hi post tabernaculum metabuntur ad Occidentem

But behind the tabernacle they shall encamp toward the West

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hi these DEM.NOM.PL.M
2 post behind PREP+ACC
3 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N
4 metabuntur they shall encamp 3PL.FUT.DEP.IND
5 ad toward PREP+ACC
6 Occidentem West ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Hi (subject) + metabuntur (main verb).

Prepositional Phrase: post tabernaculum — expresses spatial position, “behind the tabernacle.”

Directional Phrase: ad Occidentem — indicates direction or orientation, “toward the West.”

Morphology

  1. Hi — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: these; Notes: Refers to a specific group previously identified in the narrative context.
  2. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces a spatial relation; Translation: behind; Notes: Indicates position relative to another object in space.
  3. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of post; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: Refers to the sacred tent serving as the central place of worship.
  4. metabuntur — Lemma: metor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future deponent indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall encamp; Notes: A deponent verb with passive form but active meaning, commonly used for establishing camp.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: toward; Notes: Expresses movement or orientation toward a goal or direction.
  6. Occidentem — Lemma: occidens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: West; Notes: Literally “the setting place,” referring to the direction of the setting sun.

 

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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