Numeri 18:22 (Numbers 18:22)

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 18;22 ut non accedant ultra filii Israel ad tabernaculum, nec committant peccatum mortiferum,

so that the sons of Israel may no longer approach the tabernacle, nor commit a deadly sin,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ut so that CONJ
2 non not ADV
3 accedant they may approach 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
4 ultra further/no longer ADV
5 filii sons NOM.PL.M
6 Israel Israel INDECL
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N
9 nec nor CONJ
10 committant they may commit 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 peccatum sin ACC.SG.N
12 mortiferum deadly ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Purpose Clause: ut non accedant ultra filii Israel ad tabernaculum
→ ut introduces purpose
→ filii Israel (subject)
→ accedant (subjunctive verb of purpose)
→ ad tabernaculum (destination)
→ ultra modifies the prohibition temporally or spatially

Coordinated Purpose Clause: nec committant peccatum mortiferum
→ committant (subjunctive verb)
→ peccatum mortiferum (direct object with modifier)

Morphology

  1. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: governs subjunctive verbs expressing intended result or prevention.
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates accedant; Translation: not; Notes: expresses prohibition or prevention.
  3. accedant — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may approach; Notes: movement toward sacred space.
  4. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies accedant; Translation: further/no longer; Notes: implies continuation beyond permitted limit.
  5. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to Israelites.
  6. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies filii; Translation: Israel; Notes: covenant people.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces destination; Translation: to; Notes: directional relation.
  8. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: sacred dwelling place of divine presence.
  9. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins negative purpose clauses; Translation: nor; Notes: extends prohibition.
  10. committant — Lemma: committo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of coordinated purpose clause; Translation: they may commit; Notes: denotes incurring guilt or offense.
  11. peccatum — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: direct object of committant; Translation: sin; Notes: offense against divine holiness.
  12. mortiferum — Lemma: mortifer; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies peccatum; Translation: deadly; Notes: describes sin resulting in death.

 

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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