Numeri 12:13 (Numbers 12:13)

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 12:13 Clamavitque Moyses ad Dominum, dicens: Deus, obsecro, sana eam.

And Moyses cried out to the LORD, saying: “God, I beseech, heal her.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Clamavitque and cried out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Dominum the LORD ACC.SG.M
5 dicens saying NOM.SG.M PRES.PTCP.ACT
6 Deus God VOC.SG.M
7 obsecro I beseech 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 sana heal 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
9 eam her ACC.SG.F PERS

Syntax

Main Clause: Clamavit is the main verb, with Moyses as subject and ad Dominum as the indirect object indicating direction of the cry.

Participial Clause: dicens introduces the content of the cry, functioning as a participial clause modifying Moyses.

Direct Address: Deus is a vocative expression.

Imperative Clause: sana eam is the command, with eam as direct object. obsecro functions parenthetically as a plea.

Morphology

  1. Clamavitque — Lemma: clamo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and cried out; Notes: The enclitic links this action tightly with the preceding narrative.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: The intercessor in this moment.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: to; Notes: Indicates the target of the cry.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH, hence rendered in full capitals.
  5. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: participial modifier; Translation: saying; Notes: Introduces the spoken content of the cry.
  6. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine second declension; Function: direct address; Translation: God; Notes: Used here in direct appeal.
  7. obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: parenthetical expression; Translation: I beseech; Notes: Softens the command into a plea.
  8. sana — Lemma: sano; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: heal; Notes: Direct imperative addressed to God.
  9. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine personal pronoun; Function: direct object of sana; Translation: her; Notes: Refers to Maria.

 

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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