29 et castrametabuntur ad meridianam plagam.
and they shall encamp toward the southern region.
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
et |
and |
CONJ |
| 2 |
castrametabuntur |
they shall encamp |
3PL.FUT.DEP.IND |
| 3 |
ad |
toward |
PREP+ACC |
| 4 |
meridianam |
southern |
ADJ.ACC.SG.F |
| 5 |
plagam |
region |
ACC.SG.F |
Syntax
Main Clause: castrametabuntur (main verb) with implied subject “they.”
Directional Phrase: ad meridianam plagam — expresses direction or placement, “toward the southern region.”
Morphology
- et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects this clause with the preceding statement; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the sequence of instructions or descriptions.
- castrametabuntur — Lemma: castror; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future deponent indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall encamp; Notes: A deponent verb expressing the act of setting up camp with active meaning.
- ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: toward; Notes: Indicates movement or orientation toward a location.
- meridianam — Lemma: meridianus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies plagam; Translation: southern; Notes: Refers to the direction of the south.
- plagam — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: region; Notes: Indicates a directional side or quarter.
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.