Numeri 21:8 (Numbers 21:8)

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 21:8 et locutus est Dominus ad eum: Fac serpentem æneum, et pone eum pro signo: qui percussus aspexerit eum, vivet.

and the LORD spoke to him: “Make a bronze serpent, and place it as a sign; whoever, having been struck, will look upon it, shall live.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 locutus spoken PERF.DEP.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
3 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 eum him ACC.SG.M
7 Fac make 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
8 serpentem serpent ACC.SG.M
9 æneum bronze ACC.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 pone place 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
12 eum it ACC.SG.M
13 pro as PREP+ABL
14 signo sign ABL.SG.N
15 qui whoever REL.NOM.SG.M
16 percussus having been struck PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
17 aspexerit will look upon 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
18 eum it ACC.SG.M
19 vivet shall live 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus functions as the subject of locutus est.

Prepositional Phrase: ad eum identifies the recipient of the divine speech.

Imperative Clause: Fac serpentem æneum commands the making of the bronze serpent.

Object: serpentem æneum serves as the direct object of Fac.

Second Imperative Clause: pone eum pro signo commands the placement of the serpent as a sign.

Predicate Phrase: pro signo expresses the symbolic function of the serpent.

Relative Clause: qui percussus aspexerit eum identifies the condition for receiving life.

Main Result Clause: vivet expresses the promised outcome for the one who looks.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins this event to the previous narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues the sequence of divine response.
  2. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect deponent participle nominative singular masculine; Function: forms compound perfect with est; Translation: “spoken”; Notes: deponent form carrying active meaning.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb with locutus; Translation: “is”; Notes: completes the perfect tense construction.
  4. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of locutus est; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH giving instruction through Moyses.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces recipient phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: marks direction toward the hearer.
  6. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “him”; Notes: refers to Moyses.
  7. Fac — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: command verb; Translation: “make”; Notes: direct divine instruction to construct the object.
  8. serpentem — Lemma: serpens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of Fac; Translation: “serpent”; Notes: represents the means through which healing will occur.
  9. æneum — Lemma: æneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies serpentem; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: specifies the material composition of the serpent.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: connects making with placing.
  11. pone — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: second command verb; Translation: “place”; Notes: commands public positioning of the serpent.
  12. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of pone; Translation: “it”; Notes: refers to the bronze serpent.
  13. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces predicate expression; Translation: “as”; Notes: expresses function or role.
  14. signo — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: “sign”; Notes: indicates symbolic or visible significance.
  15. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: relative nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces the relative clause; Translation: “whoever”; Notes: has a generalizing sense referring to any afflicted individual.
  16. percussus — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: participial modifier of the implied subject; Translation: “having been struck”; Notes: refers to one bitten or wounded by the serpents.
  17. aspexerit — Lemma: aspicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the conditional-relative clause; Translation: “will look upon”; Notes: the future perfect stresses completed action prior to the promised result.
  18. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of aspexerit; Translation: “it”; Notes: refers to the bronze serpent lifted up as a sign.
  19. vivet — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main result verb; Translation: “shall live”; Notes: expresses the promised preservation of life through obedient looking.

 

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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