Numeri 16:47 (Numbers 16:47)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:47 Quod cum fecisset Aaron, et cucurrisset ad mediam multitudinem, quam iam vastabat incendium, obtulit thymiama:

And when Aaron had done this, and had run to the midst of the multitude, which the fire was already laying waste, he offered incense;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod and when CONJ
2 cum when CONJ
3 fecisset he had done 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M.INDECL
5 et and CONJ
6 cucurrisset had run 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 mediam middle ACC.SG.F
9 multitudinem multitude ACC.SG.F
10 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL
11 iam already ADV
12 vastabat was laying waste 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
13 incendium fire NOM.SG.N
14 obtulit offered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 thymiama incense ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Temporal Clause: cum fecisset Aaron — “when Aaron had done this,” indicating prior completed action.

Coordinated Temporal Clause: et cucurrisset ad mediam multitudinem — second prior action of movement toward the crowd.

Relative Clause: quam iam vastabat incendium — modifies multitudinem, describing the affected group.

Main Clause: obtulit thymiama — the decisive act performed by Aaron.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces clause; Translation: and when; Notes: connective usage continuing the narrative.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: governs subjunctive verbs.
  3. fecisset — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: he had done; Notes: indicates prior completed action.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject; Translation: Aaron; Notes: indeclinable Latin form.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continuation of sequence.
  6. cucurrisset — Lemma: curro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: had run; Notes: completed motion prior to main action.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: indicates movement toward.
  8. mediam — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudinem; Translation: middle; Notes: central position.
  9. multitudinem — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: multitude; Notes: crowd affected by the plague.
  10. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine relative; Function: object of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to multitudinem.
  11. iam — Lemma: iam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies vastabat; Translation: already; Notes: marks ongoing destruction.
  12. vastabat — Lemma: vasto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: was laying waste; Notes: continuous destructive action.
  13. incendium — Lemma: incendium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: fire; Notes: agent of devastation.
  14. obtulit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: offered; Notes: decisive priestly action.
  15. thymiama — Lemma: thymiama; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: incense; Notes: sacred offering used for atonement.

 

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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