Numeri 14:37 (Numbers 14:37)

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 14:37 mortui sunt atque percussi in conspectu Domini.

they died and were struck in the sight of the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 mortui having died PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF
2 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 atque and also CONJ
4 percussi having been struck PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 conspectu sight ABL.SG.M
7 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: mortui sunt forms a perfect periphrastic expression meaning “they died,” with the participle and auxiliary combining into a completed action.

Coordinated Clause: atque percussi sunt adds a second completed action, parallel in structure to the first.

Prepositional Phrase: in conspectu Domini indicates location or presence, meaning “before the LORD,” with Domini in the genitive modifying conspectu.

Morphology

  1. mortui — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Perfect deponent participle nominative masculine plural; Function: Part of periphrastic perfect with sunt; Translation: having died; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning, forming a perfect tense.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary verb; Translation: they are; Notes: Forms perfect tense with mortui and percussi.
  3. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Links clauses; Translation: and also; Notes: Often strengthens simple coordination.
  4. percussi — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: Verb participle; Form: Perfect passive participle nominative masculine plural; Function: Part of periphrastic perfect; Translation: having been struck; Notes: Indicates violent action done to the subject.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Preposition governing ablative; Function: Introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: With ablative denotes position or presence.
  6. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative masculine singular, fourth declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: sight; Notes: Refers to presence or view.
  7. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive masculine singular, second declension; Function: Modifies conspectu; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH, hence translated “LORD.”

 

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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