Numeri 15:34 (Numbers 15:34)

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:34 Qui recluserunt eum in carcerem, nescientes quid super eo facere deberent.

Then those who confined him in custody, not knowing what they ought to do concerning him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who REL.NOM.PL.M
2 recluserunt confined 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 eum him ACC.SG.M
4 in in PREP+ACC
5 carcerem custody ACC.SG.M
6 nescientes not knowing PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.PL.M
7 quid what PRON.ACC.SG.N
8 super concerning PREP+ACC
9 eo him ABL.SG.M
10 facere to do INF.PRES.ACT
11 deberent they ought 3PL.IMP.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui recluserunt eum in carcerem — “those who confined him in custody,” with Qui as subject and recluserunt as the main verb.

Direct Object: eum — the man being confined.

Prepositional Phrase: in carcerem — indicates motion into confinement (“into custody”).

Participial Clause: nescientes quid super eo facere deberent — circumstantial clause describing their state (“not knowing what they ought to do concerning him”).

Indirect Question: quid … facere deberent — dependent on nescientes, with subjunctive deberent.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of recluserunt; Translation: who; Notes: refers back to those who brought the man.
  2. recluserunt — Lemma: recludo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: confined; Notes: denotes shutting or locking up.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: refers to the man gathering wood.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: indicates motion into; Translation: in; Notes: used with accusative for movement toward.
  5. carcerem — Lemma: carcer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: custody; Notes: denotes a place of confinement.
  6. nescientes — Lemma: nescio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative plural masculine; Function: circumstantial modifier of subject; Translation: not knowing; Notes: expresses ongoing lack of knowledge.
  7. quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of facere in indirect question; Translation: what; Notes: introduces the content of uncertainty.
  8. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: indicates relation; Translation: concerning; Notes: expresses reference to a matter.
  9. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of super; Translation: him; Notes: refers again to the detained man.
  10. facere — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with deberent; Translation: to do; Notes: expresses contemplated action.
  11. deberent — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive third person plural; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: they ought; Notes: subjunctive used in dependent interrogative clause.

 

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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