Numeri 16:45 (Numbers 16:45)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:45 Recedite de medio huius multitudinis, etiam nunc delebo eos. Cumque iacerent in terra,

“Withdraw from the midst of this multitude; even now I will destroy them.” And when they were lying upon the ground,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Recedite withdraw 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 de from PREP+ABL
3 medio midst ABL.SG.N
4 huius of this GEN.SG.F.DEM
5 multitudinis multitude GEN.SG.F
6 etiam even ADV
7 nunc now ADV
8 delebo I will destroy 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 eos them ACC.PL.M
10 Cumque and when CONJ
11 iacerent they were lying 3PL.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
12 in on PREP+ABL
13 terra ground ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Imperative Clause: Recedite — direct command to withdraw.

Prepositional Phrase: de medio huius multitudinis — specifies separation from the group.

Main Clause: delebo eos — declaration of imminent divine action.

Adverbial Modifiers: etiam nunc — intensifies immediacy.

Temporal Clause: Cumque iacerent in terra — describes simultaneous circumstance.

Morphology

  1. Recedite — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: withdraw; Notes: urgent instruction to separate.
  2. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation; Translation: from; Notes: expresses removal.
  3. medio — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: midst; Notes: used substantively.
  4. huius — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine demonstrative; Function: modifies multitudinis; Translation: of this; Notes: indicates immediacy.
  5. multitudinis — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: multitude; Notes: identifies the group.
  6. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies nunc; Translation: even; Notes: intensifies urgency.
  7. nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies delebo; Translation: now; Notes: emphasizes immediacy.
  8. delebo — Lemma: deleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I will destroy; Notes: expresses impending action.
  9. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the multitude.
  10. Cumque — Lemma: cumque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: links to prior action.
  11. iacerent — Lemma: iaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: they were lying; Notes: describes ongoing action.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: location; Translation: on; Notes: indicates position.
  13. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: ground; Notes: place of 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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