Numeri 8:3 (Numbers 8:3)

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 8:3 Fecitque Aaron, et imposuit lucernas super candelabrum, ut præceperat Dominus Moysi.

And Aaron did so, and he placed the lamps upon the lampstand, as the LORD had commanded Moyses.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecitque and he did 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCL
2 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG INDECL
3 et and CONJ
4 imposuit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 lucernas lamps ACC.PL.F
6 super upon PREP+ACC
7 candelabrum lampstand ACC.SG.N
8 ut as CONJ
9 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
10 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
11 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Fecitque Aaron — perfect verb indicating completed obedience, with enclitic -que linking to previous narrative.

Coordinated Clause: et imposuit lucernas super candelabrum — second completed action specifying what Aaron did.

Comparative Clause: ut præceperat Dominus Moysi — expresses conformity to prior command, using pluperfect for earlier action.

Morphology

  1. Fecitque — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic conjunction; Function: main verb; Translation: and he did; Notes: -que links clause to previous context.
  2. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular indeclinable; Function: subject; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Agent of action.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Coordination.
  4. imposuit — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: he placed; Notes: Completed action.
  5. lucernas — Lemma: lucerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: lamps; Notes: Lighting elements.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: location; Translation: upon; Notes: Spatial relation.
  7. candelabrum — Lemma: candelabrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: lampstand; Notes: Sacred object.
  8. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: as; Notes: Conformity.
  9. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: had commanded; Notes: Prior completed action.
  10. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  11. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to Moyses; Notes: Recipient of command.

 

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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