Numeri 12:12 (Numbers 12:12)

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 12:12 ne fiat hæc quasi mortua, et ut abortivum quod proiicitur de vulva matris suæ. ecce iam medium carnis eius devoratum est a lepra.

let her not become like one dead, and like an abortive that is cast out from the womb of its mother. Behold, already half of her flesh is consumed by leprosy.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ne lest CONJ
2 fiat she may become 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
3 hæc this (one) NOM.SG.F DEM
4 quasi like ADV
5 mortua dead NOM.SG.F PTCP.PASS
6 et and CONJ
7 ut as CONJ
8 abortivum abortive ACC.SG.N
9 quod which NOM.SG.N REL
10 proiicitur is cast out 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
11 de from PREP+ABL
12 vulva womb ABL.SG.F
13 matris of mother GEN.SG.F
14 suæ its GEN.SG.F REFL
15 ecce behold INTJ
16 iam already ADV
17 medium half NOM.SG.N
18 carnis of flesh GEN.SG.F
19 eius her GEN.SG PERS INVAR
20 devoratum devoured NOM.SG.N PERF.PTCP.PASS
21 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
22 a by PREP+ABL
23 lepra leprosy ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Prohibitive Clause: ne fiat hæc quasi mortua expresses a negative wish or command. fiat is the subjunctive verb governed by ne, with hæc as subject and quasi mortua as predicate comparison.

Comparative Clause: et ut abortivum quod proiicitur de vulva matris suæ adds a further comparison. abortivum is the standard of comparison, with the relative clause quod proiicitur… describing it.

Main Clause: medium carnis eius devoratum est a lepra has medium as subject, devoratum est as verb, and a lepra as agent. carnis eius is a genitive phrase modifying medium.

Morphology

  1. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces negative wish or command; Translation: lest; Notes: Used with subjunctive for prohibition or prevention.
  2. fiat — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of prohibitive clause; Translation: she may become; Notes: Expresses potential outcome to be avoided.
  3. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine demonstrative; Function: subject; Translation: this (one); Notes: Refers to Maria.
  4. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: like; Notes: Indicates similarity rather than identity.
  5. mortua — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect participle deponent; Function: predicate complement; Translation: dead; Notes: Used adjectivally to describe state.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects comparisons; Translation: and; Notes: Links two images.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: as; Notes: Strengthens the comparison.
  8. abortivum — Lemma: abortivus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of comparison; Translation: abortive; Notes: Refers to a miscarried or stillborn child.
  9. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to abortivum.
  10. proiicitur — Lemma: proicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: is cast out; Notes: Passive emphasizes the condition of rejection.
  11. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces source; Translation: from; Notes: Indicates origin.
  12. vulva — Lemma: vulva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: object of de; Translation: womb; Notes: Refers to maternal source.
  13. matris — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine third declension; Function: modifies vulva; Translation: of mother; Notes: Specifies relation.
  14. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine reflexive; Function: modifies matris; Translation: its; Notes: Refers back to the subject of the clause.
  15. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: introduces observation; Translation: behold; Notes: Draws attention to the following statement.
  16. iam — Lemma: iam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: already; Notes: Indicates present state.
  17. medium — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: substantive subject; Translation: half; Notes: Used substantively to indicate portion.
  18. carnis — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine third declension; Function: modifies medium; Translation: of flesh; Notes: Indicates the affected substance.
  19. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular personal pronoun; Function: modifies carnis; Translation: her; Notes: Refers to Maria.
  20. devoratum — Lemma: devoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate complement; Translation: devoured; Notes: Expresses completed action affecting subject.
  21. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: is; Notes: Forms passive periphrastic with participle.
  22. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces agent; Translation: by; Notes: Marks agent in passive construction.
  23. lepra — Lemma: lepra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: object of a; Translation: leprosy; Notes: The cause of the destruction.

 

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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