Numeri 8:26 (Numbers 8:26)

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 8:26 eruntque ministri fratrum suorum in tabernaculo fœderis, ut custodiant quæ sibi fuerunt commendata, opera autem ipsa non faciant. Sic dispones Levitis in custodiis suis.

and they shall be ministers of their brothers in the tabernacle of the covenant, so that they may keep the things which have been entrusted to them, but the works themselves they shall not do. Thus you shall appoint the Levites in their duties.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 eruntque and they shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 ministri ministers NOM.PL.M
3 fratrum of brothers GEN.PL.M
4 suorum their GEN.PL.M.POSS
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
7 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N
8 ut so that CONJ
9 custodiant they may keep 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 quæ which things ACC.PL.N.REL
11 sibi to themselves DAT.PL.REFL
12 fuerunt have been 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
13 commendata entrusted NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
14 opera works ACC.PL.N
15 autem however CONJ
16 ipsa themselves ACC.PL.N
17 non not ADV
18 faciant they may do 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
19 Sic thus ADV
20 dispones you shall appoint 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
21 Levitis Levites DAT.PL.M
22 in in PREP+ABL
23 custodiis duties ABL.PL.F
24 suis their ABL.PL.F.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: eruntque ministri fratrum suorum — erunt links subject (implied Levites) with predicate nominative ministri, modified by the genitive phrase fratrum suorum.

Locative Phrase: in tabernaculo fœderis — indicates the place of service.

Purpose Clause: ut custodiant quæ sibi fuerunt commendata — custodiant governs the relative clause quæ…commendata, with sibi as dative of reference.

Contrast Clause: opera autem ipsa non faciant — introduces contrast with autem, emphasizing limitation of role.

Main Clause 2: Sic dispones Levitis in custodiis suis — dispones takes Levitis as indirect object and in custodiis suis as locative/functional phrase.

Morphology

  1. eruntque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: third person plural future active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they shall be; Notes: Establishes future role linked to prior instructions.
  2. ministri — Lemma: minister; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: ministers; Notes: Indicates subordinate service role.
  3. fratrum — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of brothers; Notes: Refers to fellow Israelites or priests.
  4. suorum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies fratrum; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive possession linking back to subject.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates place of service.
  6. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: Sacred place of ministry.
  7. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies tabernaculo; Translation: of the covenant; Notes: Specifies covenantal context.
  8. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Expresses intended function.
  9. custodiant — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may keep; Notes: Indicates guarding responsibility.
  10. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: which things; Notes: Refers to entrusted responsibilities.
  11. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to themselves; Notes: Indicates assignment or entrustment.
  12. fuerunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: have been; Notes: Forms perfect passive with participle.
  13. commendata — Lemma: commendo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: entrusted; Notes: Indicates completed assignment.
  14. opera — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of faciant; Translation: works; Notes: Refers to active service tasks.
  15. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: however; Notes: Marks limitation of duties.
  16. ipsa — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies opera; Translation: themselves; Notes: Emphasizes the works themselves.
  17. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute negation.
  18. faciant — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of clause; Translation: they may do; Notes: Subjunctive dependent on implied purpose/command structure.
  19. Sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: thus; Notes: Introduces concluding instruction.
  20. dispones — Lemma: dispono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of directive; Translation: you shall appoint; Notes: Direct instruction addressed to Moyses.
  21. Levitis — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: Levites; Notes: Recipients of assigned duties.
  22. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase of assignment; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates functional sphere.
  23. custodiis — Lemma: custodia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: duties; Notes: Refers to assigned responsibilities or watches.
  24. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies custodiis; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive possession referring back to Levites.

 

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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