Numeri 14:28 (Numbers 14:28)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:28 Dic ergo eis: Vivo ego, ait Dominus: sicut locuti estis audiente me, sic faciam vobis.

Therefore say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will do to you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dic say 2SG.IMP.MOOD.ACT
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 eis to them DAT.PL.3P.PERS
4 Vivo I live 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 ego I NOM.SG.1P.PERS
6 ait he says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
8 sicut just as CONJ
9 locuti having spoken PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.DEP
10 estis you have been 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
11 audiente hearing PTCP.ABL.SG.PRES.ACT
12 me me ABL.SG.1P.PERS
13 sic so ADV
14 faciam I will do 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 vobis to you DAT.PL.2P.PERS

Syntax

Main Imperative Clause: Dic is the command verb, with eis as the indirect object and ergo adding inferential force.

Direct Speech Clause: Vivo ego forms a solemn oath expression, reinforced by ait Dominus, where Dominus is the subject of ait.

Comparative Clause: sicut locuti estis introduces the standard of comparison, with the periphrastic perfect formed by locuti + estis.

Ablative Absolute: audiente me indicates circumstance, “while I was hearing.”

Result Clause: sic faciam vobis expresses the consequence corresponding to the comparison introduced by sicut.

Morphology

  1. Dic — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person singular present active imperative; Function: Main command verb; Translation: say; Notes: Direct imperative addressed to a single individual.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective particle; Translation: therefore; Notes: Marks logical consequence from prior context.
  3. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative plural third person; Function: Indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: Refers to the addressed group.
  4. Vivo — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person singular present active indicative; Function: Oath expression verb; Translation: I live; Notes: Used in solemn divine oath formula.
  5. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Nominative singular first person; Function: Emphatic subject; Translation: I; Notes: Adds emphasis to the verb Vivo.
  6. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular present active indicative; Function: Introduces reported speech; Translation: he says; Notes: Common verb for quoting speech.
  7. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: Subject of ait; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH, hence rendered “LORD.”
  8. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces comparative clause; Translation: just as; Notes: Establishes basis for corresponding result.
  9. locuti — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Perfect deponent participle nominative masculine plural; Function: Part of periphrastic perfect with estis; Translation: having spoken; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning.
  10. estis — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary forming perfect tense; Translation: you have been; Notes: Completes the perfect sense with locuti.
  11. audiente — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Present active participle ablative singular; Function: Part of ablative absolute; Translation: hearing; Notes: Indicates concurrent action relative to main clause.
  12. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Ablative singular first person; Function: Subject of ablative absolute; Translation: me; Notes: Completes the ablative absolute construction.
  13. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Correlative adverb; Translation: so; Notes: Corresponds to sicut in comparative structure.
  14. faciam — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person singular future active indicative; Function: Main verb of result clause; Translation: I will do; Notes: Expresses future action determined by prior statement.
  15. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative plural second person; Function: Indirect object of faciam; Translation: to you; Notes: Indicates recipients of the action.

 

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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