Numeri 8:2 (Numbers 8:2)

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 8:2 Loquere Aaron, et dices ad eum: Cum posueris septem lucernas, candelabrum in australi parte erigatur. Hoc igitur præcipe ut lucernæ contra boream e regione respiciant ad mensam panum propositionis, contra eam partem, quam candelabrum respicit, lucere debebunt.

“Speak to Aaron, and you shall say to him: ‘When you set the seven lamps, let the lampstand be set up on the south side. Therefore command this, that the lamps may look toward the north opposite, toward the table of the bread of the presence; toward that side which the lampstand faces, they shall give light.’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Loquere speak 2SG.IMPV.DEP
2 Aaron Aaron ACC.SG INDECL
3 et and CONJ
4 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 eum him ACC.SG.M
7 Cum when CONJ
8 posueris you will have placed 2SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
9 septem seven INDECL
10 lucernas lamps ACC.PL.F
11 candelabrum lampstand NOM.SG.N
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 australi southern ABL.SG.F
14 parte side ABL.SG.F
15 erigatur let it be set up 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
16 Hoc this ACC.SG.N DEM
17 igitur therefore ADV
18 præcipe command 2SG.IMPV.ACT
19 ut that CONJ
20 lucernæ lamps NOM.PL.F
21 contra toward PREP+ACC
22 boream north ACC.SG.F
23 e from PREP+ABL
24 regione region ABL.SG.F
25 respiciant may look 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
26 ad toward PREP+ACC
27 mensam table ACC.SG.F
28 panum of bread GEN.PL.M
29 propositionis of presentation GEN.SG.F
30 contra opposite PREP+ACC
31 eam that ACC.SG.F
32 partem side ACC.SG.F
33 quam which ACC.SG.F REL
34 candelabrum lampstand NOM.SG.N
35 respicit faces 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
36 lucere to shine PRES.ACT.INF
37 debebunt they shall 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Imperative Clause: Loquere Aaron, et dices ad eum — command followed by future instruction.

Temporal Clause: Cum posueris septem lucernas — future perfect indicates completed action before the main command.

Jussive Clause: candelabrum… erigatur — subjunctive expresses command.

Command Clause: Hoc igitur præcipe — introduces further instruction.

Purpose Clause: ut lucernæ… respiciant — subjunctive expressing intended direction.

Directional Phrases: contra boream… ad mensam panum propositionis — specify orientation.

Relative Clause: quam candelabrum respicit — clarifies direction.

Infinitive Construction: lucere debebunt — expresses obligation or necessity.

Morphology

  1. Loquere — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd person singular imperative; Function: command; Translation: speak; Notes: Deponent with active meaning.
  2. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular indeclinable; Function: object; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Recipient of command.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Coordination.
  4. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: you shall say; Notes: Instruction.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Direction.
  6. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to Aaron.
  7. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: Time relation.
  8. posueris — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: you will have placed; Notes: Completed prior action.
  9. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies lucernas; Translation: seven; Notes: Cardinal number.
  10. lucernas — Lemma: lucerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object; Translation: lamps; Notes: Lighting elements.
  11. candelabrum — Lemma: candelabrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: lampstand; Notes: Central object.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: Spatial relation.
  13. australi — Lemma: australis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies parte; Translation: southern; Notes: Directional term.
  14. parte — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: side; Notes: Spatial reference.
  15. erigatur — Lemma: erigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present passive subjunctive; Function: jussive; Translation: let it be set up; Notes: Command form.
  16. Hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object; Translation: this; Notes: Refers to instruction.
  17. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: connects clause; Translation: therefore; Notes: Logical continuation.
  18. præcipe — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular imperative; Function: command; Translation: command; Notes: Instruction.
  19. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: Requires subjunctive.
  20. lucernæ — Lemma: lucerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: lamps; Notes: Light sources.
  21. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: direction; Translation: toward; Notes: Facing direction.
  22. boream — Lemma: borea; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: north; Notes: Direction.
  23. e — Lemma: e; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Region marker.
  24. regione — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: region; Notes: Area reference.
  25. respiciant — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb; Translation: may look; Notes: Directional orientation.
  26. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: direction; Translation: toward; Notes: Orientation.
  27. mensam — Lemma: mensa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: table; Notes: Sacred table.
  28. panum — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies mensam; Translation: of bread; Notes: Content.
  29. propositionis — Lemma: propositio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies panum; Translation: of presentation; Notes: Sacred term.
  30. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: direction; Translation: opposite; Notes: Orientation.
  31. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: that; Notes: Refers to side.
  32. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object; Translation: side; Notes: Spatial term.
  33. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to side.
  34. candelabrum — Lemma: candelabrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: lampstand; Notes: Central object.
  35. respicit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: faces; Notes: Directional verb.
  36. lucere — Lemma: luceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement; Translation: to shine; Notes: Action of light.
  37. debebunt — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall; Notes: Obligation.

 

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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