Numeri 15:35 (Numbers 15:35)

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:35 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Morte moriatur homo iste, obruat eum lapidibus omnis turba extra castra.

Then the LORD said to Moyses: “By death this man shall surely die; let the whole assembly stone him with stones outside the camp.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCLITIC
2 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M.3RD DECL
5 Morte by death ABL.SG.F.3RD DECL
6 moriatur let him die 3SG.PRES.SUBJ
7 homo man NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
8 iste this NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
9 obruat let it overwhelm 3SG.PRES.SUBJ
10 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON
11 lapidibus with stones ABL.PL.M.2ND DECL
12 omnis all NOM.SG.F.ADJ
13 turba assembly NOM.SG.F.1ST DECL
14 extra outside PREP+ACC
15 castra the camp ACC.PL.N.2ND DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen introduces the divine speech.

Jussive Clause 1: Morte moriatur homo iste expresses a strong command of execution, literally “by death let this man die.”

Jussive Clause 2: obruat eum lapidibus omnis turba commands the assembly to stone him.

Locative Phrase: extra castra specifies the place of execution.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and he said; Notes: Introduces divine speech.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Marks direction of speech.
  4. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Recipient of divine command.
  5. Morte — Lemma: mors; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine third declension; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: by death; Notes: Intensifies the certainty of death.
  6. moriatur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive deponent; Function: jussive verb; Translation: let him die; Notes: Expresses command or decree.
  7. homo — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine third declension; Function: subject; Translation: man; Notes: Identifies the offender.
  8. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies homo; Translation: this; Notes: Points to a specific individual.
  9. obruat — Lemma: obruo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: jussive verb; Translation: let it overwhelm; Notes: Refers to the act of stoning.
  10. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to the condemned man.
  11. lapidibus — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine third declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with stones; Notes: Specifies method of execution.
  12. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies turba; Translation: all; Notes: Emphasizes collective participation.
  13. turba — Lemma: turba; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine first declension; Function: subject; Translation: assembly; Notes: Refers to the gathered people.
  14. extra — Lemma: extra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces location; Translation: outside; Notes: Indicates removal from sacred space.
  15. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: object of extra; Translation: the camp; Notes: Refers to Israel’s encampment.

 

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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