Numeri 17:13 (Numbers 17:13)

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 17:13 quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini, moritur. num usque ad internecionem cuncti delendi sumus?

Whoever approaches the tabernacle of the LORD dies. Are we all to be destroyed even to complete annihilation?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quicumque whoever NOM.SG.M.REL
2 accedit approaches 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N
5 Domini LORD GEN.SG.M
6 moritur dies 3SG.PRES.DEP.IND
7 num are PART
8 usque even to ADV
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 internecionem annihilation ACC.SG.F
11 cuncti all NOM.PL.M
12 delendi to be destroyed GERUNDV.NOM.PL.M
13 sumus we are 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Relative Clause: quicumque accedit ad tabernaculum Domini — subject quicumque + verb accedit + prepositional phrase
Main Clause 1: moritur — verb with implied subject “whoever”

Interrogative Clause: num … sumus — introduces a question expecting a negative answer
Subject: cuncti
Predicate Construction: delendi sumus — passive periphrastic expressing necessity
Extent Phrase: usque ad internecionem — indicates total destruction

Morphology

  1. quicumque — Lemma: quicumque; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: whoever; Notes: generalizing relative pronoun indicating any person.
  2. accedit — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: verb of clause; Translation: approaches; Notes: denotes movement toward.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object of motion; Translation: to; Notes: indicates direction.
  4. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: sacred tent.
  5. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: modifies tabernaculum; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  6. moritur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: dies; Notes: deponent verb expressing death.
  7. num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces question; Translation: are; Notes: expects negative answer.
  8. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies extent; Translation: even to; Notes: expresses limit.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object; Translation: to; Notes: indicates extent.
  10. internecionem — Lemma: internecio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: annihilation; Notes: total destruction.
  11. cuncti — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: all; Notes: denotes entirety.
  12. delendi — Lemma: deleo; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate adjective in passive periphrastic; Translation: to be destroyed; Notes: expresses necessity or obligation.
  13. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative first person plural; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: we are; Notes: forms passive periphrastic construction.

 

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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