Numeri 12:10 (Numbers 12:10)

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 12:10 nubes quoque recessit quæ erat super tabernaculum: et ecce Maria apparuit candens lepra quasi nix. Cumque respexisset eam Aaron, et vidisset perfusam lepra,

and the cloud also withdrew, which was over the tabernacle; and behold, Maria appeared white with leprosy like snow. And when Aaron had looked at her, and had seen her covered with leprosy,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nubes cloud NOM.SG.F
2 quoque also ADV
3 recessit withdrew 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 quæ which NOM.SG.F REL
5 erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
6 super over PREP+ACC
7 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 ecce behold INTJ
10 Maria Maria NOM.SG.F
11 apparuit appeared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 candens white NOM.SG.F PRES.PTCP.ACT
13 lepra with leprosy ABL.SG.F
14 quasi like ADV
15 nix snow NOM.SG.F
16 Cumque and when CONJ
17 respexisset had looked 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
18 eam her ACC.SG.F PERS
19 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M INDECL
20 et and CONJ
21 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
22 perfusam covered ACC.SG.F PERF.PTCP.PASS
23 lepra with leprosy ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: nubes is the subject of recessit, with quoque adding emphasis. The relative clause quæ erat super tabernaculum modifies nubes.

Main Clause 2: Maria is the subject of apparuit, with candens lepra functioning as a descriptive participial phrase. quasi nix expresses comparison.

Subordinate Clause: Cumque respexisset eam Aaron et vidisset perfusam lepra is a temporal clause. Aaron is the subject of both respexisset and vidisset, with eam as object. perfusam lepra is a participial construction describing her condition.

Morphology

  1. nubes — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: subject; Translation: cloud; Notes: Refers to the divine cloud presence associated with the tabernacle.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies recessit; Translation: also; Notes: Adds emphasis that the cloud too departed.
  3. recessit — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: withdrew; Notes: Indicates removal of divine presence.
  4. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to nubes.
  5. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: was; Notes: Describes continuous past state.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces location; Translation: over; Notes: Indicates position above the tabernacle.
  7. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter second declension; Function: object of super; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: The sacred dwelling place of God.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Continues narrative flow.
  9. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: introduces sudden observation; Translation: behold; Notes: Draws attention to what follows.
  10. Maria — Lemma: Maria; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: Maria; Notes: The individual affected by the event.
  11. apparuit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: appeared; Notes: Indicates visible manifestation of condition.
  12. candens — Lemma: candeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular feminine present active participle; Function: modifies Maria; Translation: white; Notes: Describes the striking appearance of the disease.
  13. lepra — Lemma: lepra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: ablative of means or cause; Translation: with leprosy; Notes: Indicates the condition affecting Maria.
  14. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: like; Notes: Establishes simile.
  15. nix — Lemma: nix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: object of comparison; Translation: snow; Notes: Emphasizes whiteness.
  16. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: Connects subordinate action to main narrative.
  17. respexisset — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had looked; Notes: Marks prior completed action.
  18. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine personal pronoun; Function: object of respexisset; Translation: her; Notes: Refers to Maria.
  19. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject of verbs; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Observer of the condition.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links verbs; Translation: and; Notes: Connects sequential actions.
  21. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: second verb in subordinate clause; Translation: had seen; Notes: Continues prior action sequence.
  22. perfusam — Lemma: perfundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: accusative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies eam; Translation: covered; Notes: Indicates complete effect of the disease.
  23. lepra — Lemma: lepra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with leprosy; Notes: Specifies the substance causing the condition.

 

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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