Numeri 16:4 (Numbers 16:4)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:4 Quod cum audisset Moyses, cecidit pronus in faciem:

When Moyses had heard this, he fell face down;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod this PRON REL ACC.SG.N
2 cum when CONJ
3 audisset he had heard 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 Moyses Moses NOUN NOM.SG.M
5 cecidit he fell 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 pronus face down ADJ NOM.SG.M
7 in onto PREP+ACC
8 faciem face NOUN ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Quod cum audisset Moyses — temporal clause indicating prior action (“when Moyses had heard this”)

Main Clause: cecidit — main verb describing immediate reaction

Predicate Element: pronus — describes the manner of falling (face down)

Prepositional Phrase: in faciem — expresses direction and result of the action

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of the verb audisset; Translation: this; Notes: refers to the preceding statement as a whole.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: governs subjunctive in circumstantial clause.
  3. audisset — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect tense active voice subjunctive mood third person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: he had heard; Notes: indicates completed action prior to main verb.
  4. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moyses; Notes: normalized nominative form used in English.
  5. cecidit — Lemma: cado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: he fell; Notes: denotes sudden action.
  6. pronus — Lemma: pronus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: face down; Notes: describes posture or orientation.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: onto; Notes: expresses motion toward a surface.
  8. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: face; Notes: idiomatic phrase indicating prostration.

 

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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