Numeri 10:11 (Numbers 10:11)

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 10:11 Anno secundo, mense secundo, vigesima die mensis elevata est nubes de tabernaculo fœderis:

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted from the tabernacle of the covenant.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Anno in the year ABL.SG.M
2 secundo second ABL.SG.M
3 mense in the month ABL.SG.M
4 secundo second ABL.SG.M
5 vigesima twentieth ABL.SG.F
6 die on the day ABL.SG.F
7 mensis of the month GEN.SG.M
8 elevata lifted PERF.PTCP.PASS.NOM.SG.F
9 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 nubes cloud NOM.SG.F
11 de from PREP+ABL
12 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
13 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: nubes (subject) + elevata est (main verbal expression, perfect passive) + de tabernaculo fœderis (prepositional phrase of separation).

Phrase: Anno secundo — ablative of time when, specifying the year.

Phrase: mense secundo — ablative of time when, specifying the month.

Phrase: vigesima die mensis — ablative of time with dependent genitive, specifying the exact day of the month.

Phrase: de tabernaculo fœderis — prepositional phrase indicating the place from which the cloud was lifted.

Morphology

  1. Anno — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: in the year; Notes: Opens the chronological notice with a formal dating formula.
  2. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies Anno; Translation: second; Notes: Marks the year as the second in sequence.
  3. mense — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: in the month; Notes: Narrows the dating formula from year to month.
  4. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies mense; Translation: second; Notes: Specifies the month as the second month.
  5. vigesima — Lemma: vicesimus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies die; Translation: twentieth; Notes: Gives the ordinal day within the month.
  6. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: on the day; Notes: Works with vigesima to state the exact date.
  7. mensis — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying die; Translation: of the month; Notes: Completes the calendrical expression.
  8. elevata — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular feminine; Function: part of the perfect passive verbal expression with est; Translation: lifted; Notes: Agrees with nubes and presents the cloud as the entity acted upon.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: auxiliary forming the perfect passive with elevata; Translation: was; Notes: With the participle it yields a completed past event in narrative sequence.
  10. nubes — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of elevata est; Translation: cloud; Notes: Refers to the visible sign of divine presence over the sanctuary.
  11. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: indeclinable preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces separation or source; Translation: from; Notes: Marks the point from which the cloud rose.
  12. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: Names the sacred dwelling associated with divine guidance.
  13. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive modifying tabernaculo; Translation: of the covenant; Notes: Identifies the tabernacle specifically as the covenantal sanctuary.

 

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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