Numeri 10:5 (Numbers 10:5)

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 10:5 Si autem prolixior atque concisus clangor increpuerit, movebunt castra primi qui sunt ad orientalem plagam.

But if a longer and broken blast has sounded, the camps will move first, those which are toward the eastern region.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 autem however CONJ
3 prolixior longer NOM.SG.M.CMPR
4 atque and CONJ
5 concisus broken NOM.SG.M
6 clangor blast NOM.SG.M
7 increpuerit has sounded 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
8 movebunt they will move 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
9 castra camps ACC.PL.N
10 primi first NOM.PL.M
11 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
12 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
13 ad toward PREP+ACC
14 orientalem eastern ACC.SG.F
15 plagam region ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Conditional Clause: Si autem prolixior atque concisus clangor increpuerit — protasis expressing a future condition (“but if a longer and broken blast has sounded”).

Main Clause: primi (subject) + movebunt (main verb) + castra (direct object).

Relative Clause: qui sunt ad orientalem plagam — modifies primi, specifying their position.

Phrase: ad orientalem plagam — prepositional phrase indicating direction or location.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable conditional conjunction; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: if; Notes: Establishes a real future condition.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective particle; Translation: however; Notes: Adds contrast or continuation in instruction.
  3. prolixior — Lemma: prolixus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine comparative degree; Function: modifies clangor; Translation: longer; Notes: Comparative form indicating greater duration.
  4. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates adjectives; Translation: and; Notes: Stronger connective than simple et, linking closely related qualities.
  5. concisus — Lemma: concido; Part of Speech: verb (used adjectivally); Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies clangor; Translation: broken; Notes: Describes the interrupted or segmented nature of the sound.
  6. clangor — Lemma: clangor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of increpuerit; Translation: blast; Notes: Refers to the sound of the trumpet.
  7. increpuerit — Lemma: increpo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: has sounded; Notes: Indicates completed action prior to the main clause.
  8. movebunt — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they will move; Notes: Describes the action of breaking camp.
  9. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of movebunt; Translation: camps; Notes: A plural-only noun referring to encampments.
  10. primi — Lemma: primus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: nominative plural masculine superlative degree; Function: subject of movebunt; Translation: the first; Notes: Used substantively to refer to those who move first.
  11. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers back to primi.
  12. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person plural; Function: copulative verb in relative clause; Translation: are; Notes: Links subject to location phrase.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces location phrase; Translation: toward; Notes: Indicates direction or orientation.
  14. orientalem — Lemma: orientalis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies plagam; Translation: eastern; Notes: Specifies direction.
  15. plagam — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: region; Notes: Refers to a directional side or quarter.

 

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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