Numeri 15:39 (Numbers 15:39)

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:39 quas cum viderint, recordentur omnium mandatorum Domini, nec sequantur cogitationes suas et oculos per res varias fornicantes,

which when they shall see, they shall remember all the commandments of the LORD, and they shall not follow their own thoughts and their eyes going astray through various things,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quas which ACC.PL.F.REL.PRON
2 cum when CONJ
3 viderint they shall have seen 3PL.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 recordentur they shall remember 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
5 omnium of all GEN.PL.M/N.ADJ
6 mandatorum commandments GEN.PL.N.2ND DECL
7 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M.2ND DECL
8 nec and not CONJ
9 sequantur they should follow 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
10 cogitationes thoughts ACC.PL.F.3RD DECL.OBJ
11 suas their own ACC.PL.F.POSS.PRON
12 et and CONJ
13 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M.2ND DECL.OBJ
14 per through PREP+ACC
15 res things ACC.PL.F.5TH DECL
16 varias various ACC.PL.F.ADJ
17 fornicantes going astray ACC.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP

Syntax

Relative Clause: quas cum viderint modifies the previous noun (fringes), introducing the temporal sense “which when they shall see.”

Main Clause: recordentur omnium mandatorum Domini expresses the intended result of seeing.

Negative Purpose Clause: nec sequantur cogitationes suas et oculos shows what must not be followed.

Participial Phrase: per res varias fornicantes modifies oculos, describing wandering or straying through various things.

Morphology

  1. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of viderint; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the fringes.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: Indicates time of action.
  3. viderint — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: they shall have seen; Notes: Indicates completed future action.
  4. recordentur — Lemma: recordor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive deponent; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall remember; Notes: Deponent verb expressing recollection.
  5. omnium — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine/neuter; Function: modifies mandatorum; Translation: of all; Notes: Indicates totality.
  6. mandatorum — Lemma: mandatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter second declension; Function: object of remembrance; Translation: commandments; Notes: Refers to divine laws.
  7. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine second declension; Function: modifies mandatorum; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  8. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces negative continuation; Translation: and not; Notes: Negates following clause.
  9. sequantur — Lemma: sequor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive deponent; Function: verb of negative clause; Translation: they should follow; Notes: Deponent verb indicating pursuit.
  10. cogitationes — Lemma: cogitatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: thoughts; Notes: Refers to internal reasoning.
  11. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies cogitationes; Translation: their own; Notes: Reflexive possession.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects objects; Translation: and; Notes: Adds additional element.
  13. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: eyes; Notes: Refers metaphorically to desires or perception.
  14. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces extent; Translation: through; Notes: Indicates movement or range.
  15. res — Lemma: res; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine fifth declension; Function: object of per; Translation: things; Notes: General term for matters or objects.
  16. varias — Lemma: varius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies res; Translation: various; Notes: Indicates diversity.
  17. fornicantes — Lemma: fornicor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural masculine present active; Function: modifies oculos; Translation: going astray; Notes: Metaphorical for spiritual unfaithfulness.

 

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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