Numeri 11:8 (Numbers 11:8)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:8 Circuibatque populus, et colligens illud, frangebat mola, sive terebat in mortario, coquens in olla, et faciens ex eo tortulas saporis quasi panis oleati.

And the people went about, and gathering it, he broke it with a mill, or ground it in a mortar, cooking in a pot, and making from it cakes of taste like bread of oil.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Circuibatque and went about 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
2 populus people NOM.SG.M
3 et and CONJ
4 colligens gathering NOM.SG.PTCP.PRES.ACT
5 illud it ACC.SG.N.DEM.PRON
6 frangebat was breaking 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
7 mola with a mill ABL.SG.F
8 sive or CONJ
9 terebat was grinding 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 mortario mortar ABL.SG.N
12 coquens cooking NOM.SG.PTCP.PRES.ACT
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 olla pot ABL.SG.F
15 et and CONJ
16 faciens making NOM.SG.PTCP.PRES.ACT
17 ex from PREP+ABL
18 eo it ABL.SG.N.PERS.PRON
19 tortulas cakes ACC.PL.F
20 saporis of taste GEN.SG.M
21 quasi like ADV
22 panis bread GEN.SG.M
23 oleati of oil GEN.SG.M.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: populus is the subject, with Circuibatque as the primary verb, describing continuous movement.

Participial Chain: colligens illud, coquens, and faciens describe sequential actions performed by the same subject, forming a flowing narrative of activity.

Verbal Coordination: frangebat and terebat are coordinated alternatives linked by sive, expressing two possible methods of preparation.

Prepositional Phrases: in mortario, in olla, and ex eo indicate location, instrument, and source respectively.

Object Phrase: tortulas saporis quasi panis oleati forms the direct object of faciens, with saporis as a descriptive genitive and quasi panis oleati expressing comparison.

Morphology

  1. Circuibatque — Lemma: circumeo; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and was going about; Notes: imperfect emphasizes repeated or continuous action.
  2. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: people; Notes: collective singular referring to the group.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links actions.
  4. colligens — Lemma: colligo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular present active; Function: modifies subject; Translation: gathering; Notes: indicates simultaneous action.
  5. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter demonstrative; Function: object of colligens; Translation: it; Notes: refers to manna.
  6. frangebat — Lemma: frango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: was breaking; Notes: describes method of preparation.
  7. mola — Lemma: mola; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with a mill; Notes: instrument used for grinding.
  8. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: alternative coordination; Translation: or; Notes: presents alternative action.
  9. terebat — Lemma: tero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: alternative verb; Translation: was grinding; Notes: parallel to frangebat.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: spatial usage.
  11. mortario — Lemma: mortarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: mortar; Notes: grinding vessel.
  12. coquens — Lemma: coquo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular present active; Function: modifies subject; Translation: cooking; Notes: another concurrent action.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: repeated spatial marker.
  14. olla — Lemma: olla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: pot; Notes: cooking vessel.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: continues sequence.
  16. faciens — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular present active; Function: modifies subject; Translation: making; Notes: final stage of preparation.
  17. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces source; Translation: from; Notes: indicates origin.
  18. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of ex; Translation: it; Notes: refers to manna.
  19. tortulas — Lemma: tortula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of faciens; Translation: cakes; Notes: small prepared food items.
  20. saporis — Lemma: sapor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of taste; Notes: describes flavor.
  21. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: comparison; Translation: like; Notes: introduces simile.
  22. panis — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: part of comparison; Translation: of bread; Notes: specifies comparison base.
  23. oleati — Lemma: oleatus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies panis; Translation: of oil; Notes: indicates richness or flavor.

 

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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