Numeri 16:26 (Numbers 16:26)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:26 dixit ad turbam: Recedite a tabernaculis hominum impiorum, et nolite tangere quæ ad eos pertinent, ne involvamini in peccatis eorum.

he said to the crowd: “Withdraw from the tents of the wicked men, and do not touch the things that belong to them, lest you be entangled in their sins.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 turbam crowd NOUN ACC.SG.F
4 Recedite withdraw 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
5 a from PREP+ABL
6 tabernaculis tents NOUN ABL.PL.N
7 hominum of men NOUN GEN.PL.M
8 impiorum wicked ADJ GEN.PL.M
9 et and CONJ
10 nolite do not 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
11 tangere touch INF
12 quæ which things PRON REL ACC.PL.N
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 eos them PRON ACC.PL.M
15 pertinent belong 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
16 ne lest CONJ
17 involvamini you be entangled 2PL.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 peccatis sins NOUN ABL.PL.N
20 eorum their PRON GEN.PL

Syntax

Main Clause: dixit ad turbam — narrative introduction to speech

Imperative Clause: Recedite a tabernaculis hominum impiorum — command to withdraw

Genitive Phrase: hominum impiorum — describes the owners of the tents

Negative Imperative: nolite tangere — prohibition

Relative Clause: quæ ad eos pertinent — describes the things not to be touched

Negative Purpose Clause: ne involvamini in peccatis eorum — expresses warning or consequence

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: he said; Notes: introduces speech.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces recipient; Translation: to; Notes: indicates direction.
  3. turbam — Lemma: turba; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: crowd; Notes: refers to gathered people.
  4. Recedite — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice imperative mood second person plural; Function: command; Translation: withdraw; Notes: instruction to separate.
  5. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces separation; Translation: from; Notes: expresses movement away.
  6. tabernaculis — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: tents; Notes: plural dwellings.
  7. hominum — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of men; Notes: identifies owners.
  8. impiorum — Lemma: impius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies hominum; Translation: wicked; Notes: describes moral character.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continuation.
  10. nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice imperative mood second person plural; Function: negative command; Translation: do not; Notes: used with infinitive.
  11. tangere — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: touch; Notes: governed by nolite.
  12. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: which things; Notes: refers to possessions.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces relation; Translation: to; Notes: indicates belonging.
  14. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the wicked men.
  15. pertinent — Lemma: pertineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice indicative mood third person plural; Function: verb; Translation: belong; Notes: indicates relation or ownership.
  16. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces negative purpose; Translation: lest; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  17. involvamini — Lemma: involvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense passive voice subjunctive mood second person plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: you be entangled; Notes: passive sense of becoming involved.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: figurative involvement.
  19. peccatis — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: sins; Notes: moral wrongdoing.
  20. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: their; Notes: refers to the wicked men.

 

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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