Numeri 18:20 (Numbers 18:20)

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 18:20 Dixitque Dominus ad Aaron: In terra eorum nihil possidebitis, nec habebitis partem inter eos: ego pars et hereditas tua in medio filiorum Israel.

Then the LORD said to Aaron: “In their land you shall possess nothing, nor shall you have a portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Aaron Aaron INDECL
5 In in PREP+ABL
6 terra land ABL.SG.F
7 eorum their GEN.PL
8 nihil nothing ACC.SG.N.INDEF
9 possidebitis you shall possess 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
10 nec nor CONJ
11 habebitis you shall have 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
12 partem portion ACC.SG.F
13 inter among PREP+ACC
14 eos them ACC.PL.M
15 ego I NOM.SG
16 pars portion NOM.SG.F
17 et and CONJ
18 hereditas inheritance NOM.SG.F
19 tua your NOM.SG.F.POSS
20 in in PREP+ABL
21 medio midst ABL.SG.N
22 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
23 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Dominus (subject) + Dixit (verb) + ad Aaron (indirect object)

Main Clause 2: nihil (direct object) + possidebitis (verb)
Prepositional Phrase: In terra eorum — location or sphere of possession

Coordinated Clause: nec habebitis partem inter eos
→ habebitis (verb)
→ partem (direct object)
→ inter eos (prepositional phrase)

Main Clause 3: ego (subject) + pars et hereditas tua (predicate nominatives)

Prepositional Phrase: in medio filiorum Israel — relational setting

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and said; Notes: introduces divine speech.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces recipient; Translation: to; Notes: directional relation.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of ad; Translation: Aaron; Notes: priestly recipient of instruction.
  5. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: spatial or territorial setting.
  6. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, first declension; Function: object of In; Translation: land; Notes: territorial inheritance.
  7. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: their; Notes: refers to the tribes of Israel.
  8. nihil — Lemma: nihil; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: nothing; Notes: complete negation of property possession.
  9. possidebitis — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall possess; Notes: refers to ownership or inheritance.
  10. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins negative clauses; Translation: nor; Notes: continues negation.
  11. habebitis — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person plural; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: you shall have; Notes: future state of possession.
  12. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: portion; Notes: inheritance share.
  13. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces relational setting; Translation: among; Notes: position within a group.
  14. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of inter; Translation: them; Notes: refers to Israelites.
  15. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular first person; Function: subject; Translation: I; Notes: emphatic divine self-reference.
  16. pars — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: portion; Notes: metaphor for inheritance.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins predicate nouns; Translation: and; Notes: additive relation.
  18. hereditas — Lemma: hereditas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: inheritance; Notes: legal and covenantal possession.
  19. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies hereditas; Translation: your; Notes: possession relation.
  20. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: spatial relation.
  21. medio — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: midst; Notes: central location within a group.
  22. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying medio; Translation: of sons; Notes: Israelites.
  23. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: Israel; Notes: covenant people.

 

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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