Numeri 11:9 (Numbers 11:9)

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 11:9 Cumque descederet nocte super castra ros, descendebat pariter et Man.

And when the dew descended by night upon the camp, the Manna descended likewise.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 descederet was descending 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
3 nocte by night ABL.SG.F
4 super upon PREP+ACC
5 castra camp ACC.PL.N
6 ros dew NOM.SG.M
7 descendebat was descending 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
8 pariter likewise ADV
9 et also CONJ
10 Man Manna NOM.INDECL

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Cumque descederet ros nocte super castra introduces a temporal clause. ros is the subject, descederet the verb in the subjunctive, with nocte expressing time and super castra indicating direction.

Main Clause: Man is the subject, and descendebat the verb, describing simultaneous repeated action.

Adverbial Emphasis: pariter et emphasizes that the descent of Manna occurred together with the dew.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: combines temporal relation with narrative continuation.
  2. descederet — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: was descending; Notes: subjunctive used in cum-temporal clause.
  3. nocte — Lemma: nox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: by night; Notes: indicates time of action.
  4. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: upon; Notes: implies motion over or onto.
  5. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: camp; Notes: plural form with singular meaning.
  6. ros — Lemma: ros; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of descederet; Translation: dew; Notes: natural phenomenon associated with the event.
  7. descendebat — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: was descending; Notes: indicates repeated or continuous action.
  8. pariter — Lemma: pariter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies descendebat; Translation: likewise; Notes: stresses simultaneity.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: also; Notes: links with emphasis.
  10. Man — Lemma: man; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative indeclinable; Function: subject of descendebat; Translation: Manna; Notes: divine provision appearing with the dew.

 

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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