Numeri 9:5 (Numbers 9:5)

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 9:5 Qui fecerunt tempore suo: quartadecima die mensis ad vesperam in monte Sinai. Iuxta omnia quæ mandaverat Dominus Moysi, fecerunt filii Israel.

And they performed it at its appointed time: on the fourteenth day of the month at evening on Mount Sinai. According to all that the LORD had commanded Moyses, the sons of Israel did.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
2 fecerunt they did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 tempore time ABL.SG.N
4 suo its own ABL.SG.N.POSS
5 quartadecima fourteenth ABL.SG.F
6 die day ABL.SG.F
7 mensis of month GEN.SG.M
8 ad at PREP+ACC
9 vesperam evening ACC.SG.F
10 in on PREP+ABL
11 monte mount ABL.SG.M
12 Sinai Sinai INDECL
13 Iuxta according to PREP+ACC
14 omnia all things ACC.PL.N
15 quæ which things ACC.PL.N.REL
16 mandaverat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
17 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
18 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M
19 fecerunt they did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
20 filii sons NOM.PL.M
21 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui fecerunt tempore suo — Qui refers to filii Israel, with fecerunt as the verb and tempore suo as ablative of time.

Temporal Phrase: quartadecima die mensis — ablative of time when, specifying the exact day.

Prepositional Phrase: ad vesperam — indicates time of day.

Locative Phrase: in monte Sinai — specifies location.

Manner Clause: Iuxta omnia quæ mandaverat Dominus Moysi — expresses conformity to divine command.

Main Clause: fecerunt filii Israel — verb followed by subject, emphasizing completed action.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers to the sons of Israel. In Latin, Qui acts like a hook. It physically latches onto the “sons of Israel” mentioned in the preceding verse. If the author wanted a clean break, they would have used a different word. By using Qui, the author is signaling that this sentence is a direct consequence or continuation of the previous one. “And they” / “Who” (Relative Pronoun): Using “And” plus a pronoun honors the fact that the Latin text used Qui (a relative pronoun) instead of Ii or Illi (demonstrative pronouns).
  2. fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: they did; Notes: Indicates completed action.
  3. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of time; Translation: time; Notes: Specifies when the action occurred.
  4. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies tempore; Translation: its own; Notes: Refers to appointed time.
  5. quartadecima — Lemma: quartadecimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies die; Translation: fourteenth; Notes: Specifies exact day.
  6. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: day; Notes: Indicates specific time.
  7. mensis — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of month; Notes: Specifies time unit.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces temporal phrase; Translation: at; Notes: Indicates approximate time.
  9. vesperam — Lemma: vespera; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: evening; Notes: Specifies time of day.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: on; Notes: Indicates position.
  11. monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: mount; Notes: Refers to geographical location.
  12. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition to monte; Translation: Sinai; Notes: Specifies mountain.
  13. Iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces manner; Translation: according to; Notes: Indicates conformity.
  14. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: all things; Notes: Emphasizes completeness.
  15. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: which things; Notes: Refers to commands.
  16. mandaverat — Lemma: mando; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: Indicates prior instruction.
  17. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  18. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to Moyses; Notes: Recipient of command.
  19. fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they did; Notes: Emphasizes completion.
  20. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: Collective subject. Literal: filii means “sons.”
    ​Collective: In Biblical and classical Latin, the masculine plural filii often functions as a collective noun for “children” (including both sons and daughters).
    ​This is why almost every English Bible translates filii Israel as “the children of Israel” rather than “the sons of Israel.” It refers to the entire nation as a family unit.
  21. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: Israel; Notes: Specifies identity.

 

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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