Numeri 17:4 (Numbers 17:4)

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 17:4 ponesque eas in tabernaculo fœderis coram testimonio, ubi loquar ad te.

then you shall place them in the tabernacle of the covenant before the testimony, where I will speak to you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ponesque and you shall place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 eas them ACC.PL.F
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
5 fœderis of covenant GEN.SG.N
6 coram before PREP+ABL
7 testimonio testimony ABL.SG.N
8 ubi where ADV
9 loquar I will speak 1SG.FUT.DEP.IND
10 ad to PREP+ACC
11 te you ACC.SG

Syntax

Main Clause: ponesque (verb with enclitic conjunction) + eas (direct object)
Prepositional Phrase 1: in tabernaculo fœderis — location with genitive specification
Prepositional Phrase 2: coram testimonio — indicates position “before” the sacred object

Relative/Locative Clause: ubi loquar ad te
→ loquar (main verb of clause) + ad te (prepositional phrase indicating recipient)

Morphology

  1. ponesque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person singular with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: main verb linking action with previous instruction; Translation: and you shall place; Notes: the enclitic -que joins this command to the preceding clause.
  2. eas — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of pones; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the rods mentioned previously.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: indicates placement within a space.
  4. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: sacred tent of meeting.
  5. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, third declension; Function: modifies tabernaculo; Translation: of covenant; Notes: indicates divine agreement or pact.
  6. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces relational position; Translation: before; Notes: expresses presence in front of something.
  7. testimonio — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of coram; Translation: testimony; Notes: refers to the covenant witness, often the tablets.
  8. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: relative adverb; Function: introduces locative clause; Translation: where; Notes: links place with subsequent action.
  9. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: future indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: I will speak; Notes: deponent verb expressing future communication.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object phrase; Translation: to; Notes: marks direction toward a person.
  11. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular second person; Function: object of ad; Translation: you; Notes: refers to Moyses as recipient of speech.

 

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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