Numeri 18:5 (Numbers 18:5)

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 18:5 Excubate in custodia Sanctuarii, et in ministerio altaris: ne oriatur indignatio super filios Israel.

Keep watch in the charge of the Sanctuary and in the service of the altar, lest indignation arise against the sons of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Excubate keep watch 2PL.PRES.IMP.MOOD.ACT
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 custodia charge ABL.SG.F
4 Sanctuarii of Sanctuary GEN.SG.N
5 et and CONJ
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 ministerio service ABL.SG.N
8 altaris of altar GEN.SG.N
9 ne lest CONJ
10 oriatur may arise 3SG.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
11 indignatio indignation NOM.SG.F
12 super upon PREP+ACC
13 filios sons ACC.PL.M
14 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Imperative Clause: Excubate (verb) with implied subject “you (plural)”

Prepositional Phrase 1: in custodia Sanctuarii — sphere of responsibility
Prepositional Phrase 2: in ministerio altaris — parallel sphere of duty

Negative Purpose Clause: ne oriatur indignatio
→ indignatio (subject) + oriatur (verb)
Prepositional Phrase: super filios Israel — target of the wrath

Morphology

  1. Excubate — Lemma: excubo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, second person plural; Function: main command; Translation: keep watch; Notes: expresses duty of vigilance.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces sphere; Translation: in; Notes: indicates domain of activity.
  3. custodia — Lemma: custodia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, first declension; Function: object of in; Translation: charge; Notes: denotes responsibility or guarding duty.
  4. Sanctuarii — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, second declension; Function: modifies custodia; Translation: of Sanctuary; Notes: refers to the holy place.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links phrases; Translation: and; Notes: continuation.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces second sphere; Translation: in; Notes: parallel structure.
  7. ministerio — Lemma: ministerium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: service; Notes: denotes active duty.
  8. altaris — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, third declension; Function: modifies ministerio; Translation: of altar; Notes: central ritual site.
  9. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces negative purpose clause; Translation: lest; Notes: expresses prevention.
  10. oriatur — Lemma: orior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of clause; Translation: may arise; Notes: deponent verb indicating emergence.
  11. indignatio — Lemma: indignatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: indignation; Notes: divine wrath or anger.
  12. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object; Translation: upon; Notes: indicates direction of force.
  13. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: object of super; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to the people.
  14. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies filios; Translation: Israel; Notes: retains Hebrew form.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.