Nm 6:24 Benedicat tibi Dominus, et custodiat te.
“May the LORD bless you, and may He keep you.
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Benedicat |
may he bless |
3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ |
| 2 |
tibi |
to you |
DAT.SG |
| 3 |
Dominus |
the LORD |
NOM.SG.M |
| 4 |
et |
and |
CONJ |
| 5 |
custodiat |
may he keep |
3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ |
| 6 |
te |
you |
ACC.SG |
Syntax
First Clause: Benedicat Dominus tibi — Dominus is the subject, Benedicat the verb in the subjunctive expressing a wish, and tibi the indirect object.
Second Clause: et custodiat te — custodiat continues the jussive/subjunctive sense, with te as the direct object.
Morphology
- Benedicat — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: main verb; Translation: may he bless; Notes: Jussive subjunctive expressing blessing.
- tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: Recipient of blessing.
- Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
- et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Connects parallel blessings.
- custodiat — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: main verb; Translation: may he keep; Notes: Continues jussive force.
- te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object; Translation: you; Notes: Object of protection.
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.