Numeri 12:1 (Numbers 12:1)

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 12:1 Locutaque est Maria et Aaron contra Moysen propter uxorem eius Æthiopissam,

And Maria and Aaron spoke against Moyses because of his Ethiopian wife,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutaque and having spoken NOM.SG.F PERF.PTCP.DEP
2 est she is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Maria Maria NOM.SG.F
4 et and CONJ
5 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M INDECL
6 contra against PREP+ACC
7 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
8 propter because of PREP+ACC
9 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
10 eius his GEN.SG PERS INVAR
11 Æthiopissam Ethiopian ACC.SG.F ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Maria and Aaron function as the compound subject. Locutaque est is the finite verbal expression, formed with a perfect participle and auxiliary, expressing completed speech.

Object(s): contra Moysen marks the target of the speech and functions semantically as the object of hostility or opposition.

Phrase: propter uxorem eius Æthiopissam is a prepositional phrase of cause, explaining the reason for the complaint. Within it, uxorem is modified by eius and Æthiopissam.

Morphology

  1. Locutaque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect participle deponent with enclitic -que; Function: verbal element agreeing with the feminine subject Maria and joined coordinately to what follows; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: The feminine singular form aligns directly with Maria, while the enclitic adds a flowing narrative connection.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary completing the periphrastic perfect verbal construction with Locuta; Translation: is; Notes: With the perfect participle, it yields the sense “spoke” or “has spoken” in narrative Latin.
  3. Maria — Lemma: Maria; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: first member of the compound subject; Translation: Maria; Notes: The participle’s feminine singular agreement points especially to her as the grammatically controlling element at the start of the clause.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: joins Maria and Aaron into a compound subject; Translation: and; Notes: It simply coordinates the two names without altering their individual forms.
  5. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: second member of the compound subject; Translation: Aaron; Notes: As a Hebrew name, it remains formally indeclinable in Latin usage here.
  6. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the object of opposition; Translation: against; Notes: It gives the speech a hostile direction rather than neutral reference.
  7. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of the preposition contra; Translation: Moses; Notes: The accusative marks him as the one spoken against.
  8. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces a causal phrase; Translation: because of; Notes: It explicitly states the motive or occasion for the complaint.
  9. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine third declension; Function: object of propter; Translation: wife; Notes: This noun stands at the center of the causal phrase and is further qualified by possession and ethnicity.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular personal pronoun, invariable in form for gender here; Function: possessive genitive modifying uxorem; Translation: his; Notes: It identifies the wife specifically as belonging to Moyses.
  11. Æthiopissam — Lemma: Æthiopissa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: appositional noun further identifying uxorem; Translation: Ethiopian woman; Notes: It does more than add description; it specifies the ethnic identity that occasions the objection in the verse.

 

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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