Numeri 10:2 (Numbers 10:2)

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 10:2 Fac tibi duas tubas argenteas ductiles, quibus convocare possis multitudinem quando movenda sunt castra.

Make for yourself two silver trumpets hammered, with which you may be able to assemble the multitude when the camps must be moved.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fac make 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 tibi for yourself DAT.SG.2.PERS.PRON
3 duas two ACC.PL.F
4 tubas trumpets ACC.PL.F
5 argenteas silver ACC.PL.F
6 ductiles hammered ACC.PL.F
7 quibus with which ABL.PL.F.REL
8 convocare to assemble PRES.ACT.INF
9 possis you may be able 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 multitudinem the multitude ACC.SG.F
11 quando when ADV
12 movenda to be moved GERUNDV.NOM.PL.N
13 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
14 castra camps NOM.PL.N

Syntax

Main Clause: (tu) (implied subject) + Fac (imperative verb) + duas tubas argenteas ductiles (direct object).

Indirect Object: tibi — dative of advantage, indicating for whose benefit the action is done.

Relative Clause: quibus convocare possis multitudinem — expresses purpose or function (“with which you may be able to assemble the multitude”).

Subordinate Clause: quando movenda sunt castra — temporal clause indicating the circumstance in which the action occurs.

Phrase: movenda sunt — gerundive construction expressing necessity (“must be moved”).

Morphology

  1. Fac — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person singular; Function: main verb issuing a command; Translation: make; Notes: A direct command addressed to Moyses.
  2. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular second person; Function: indirect object (dative of advantage); Translation: for yourself; Notes: Indicates personal benefit or purpose of the command.
  3. duas — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies tubas; Translation: two; Notes: Agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case.
  4. tubas — Lemma: tuba; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of Fac; Translation: trumpets; Notes: Instrument used for signaling in Israelite camp organization.
  5. argenteas — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies tubas; Translation: silver; Notes: Specifies the material of the trumpets.
  6. ductiles — Lemma: ductilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies tubas; Translation: hammered; Notes: Refers to metal shaped by hammering, not casting.
  7. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: introduces relative clause, referring back to tubas; Translation: with which; Notes: Ablative of means or instrument.
  8. convocare — Lemma: convoco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with possis; Translation: to assemble; Notes: Expresses the action enabled by the trumpets.
  9. possis — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive second person singular; Function: verb of the relative clause expressing potential or purpose; Translation: you may be able; Notes: Subjunctive mood marks purpose nuance in the relative clause.
  10. multitudinem — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of convocare; Translation: the multitude; Notes: Refers to the gathered people of Yisraʾel.
  11. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: Connects the action to a specific circumstance.
  12. movenda — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: verbal adjective (gerundive); Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: part of passive periphrastic construction with sunt; Translation: to be moved; Notes: Indicates necessity or obligation.
  13. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person plural; Function: auxiliary in passive periphrastic construction; Translation: are; Notes: Combines with gerundive to express obligation.
  14. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of movenda sunt; Translation: camps; Notes: A plural-only noun (pluralia tantum) referring to the encampment.

 

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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