Numeri 16:3 (Numbers 16:3)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:3 Cumque stetissent adversum Moysen et Aaron, dixerunt: Sufficiat vobis, quia omnis multitudo sanctorum est, et in ipsis est Dominus: Cur elevamini super populum Domini?

And when they had stood against Moyses and Aaron, they said: “Let it be enough for you, because all the multitude is holy, and in them is the LORD: why do you exalt yourselves above the people of the LORD?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 stetissent they had stood 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
3 adversum against PREP+ACC
4 Moysen Moses NOUN ACC.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 Aaron Aaron NOUN ACC.SG.M
7 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Sufficiat let it be enough 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 vobis for you PRON DAT.PL
10 quia because CONJ
11 omnis all ADJ NOM.SG.F
12 multitudo multitude NOUN NOM.SG.F
13 sanctorum of holy ones ADJ GEN.PL.M
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 et and CONJ
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 ipsis them PRON ABL.PL.M
18 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
19 Dominus LORD NOUN NOM.SG.M
20 Cur why ADV
21 elevamini you exalt yourselves 2PL.PRES.PASS.IND
22 super above PREP+ACC
23 populum people NOUN ACC.SG.M
24 Domini of the LORD NOUN GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Cumque stetissent — temporal clause introducing prior action (“when they had stood”)

Prepositional Phrase: adversum Moysen et Aaron — object of opposition

Main Clause: dixerunt — verb of speech introducing direct discourse

Jussive Clause: Sufficiat vobis — subjunctive expressing command (“let it be enough for you”)

Causal Clause: quia omnis multitudo sanctorum est — reason given

Coordinated Clause: et in ipsis est Dominus — parallel assertion emphasizing divine presence

Interrogative Clause: Cur elevamini — rhetorical question

Prepositional Phrase: super populum Domini — expresses superiority or elevation

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction with enclitic; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: cum with subjunctive gives circumstantial background, -que links to prior narrative.
  2. stetissent — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect tense active voice subjunctive mood third person plural; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: they had stood; Notes: denotes completed action prior to main verb within cum clause.
  3. adversum — Lemma: adversum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces opposition; Translation: against; Notes: implies hostility or confrontation.
  4. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: Moyses; Notes: normalized in translation to nominative form.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links nouns; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive coordination.
  6. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: Aaron; Notes: indeclinable form in Latin.
  7. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect tense active voice indicative mood third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they said; Notes: introduces direct speech.
  8. Sufficiat — Lemma: sufficio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice subjunctive mood third person singular; Function: jussive verb; Translation: let it be enough; Notes: expresses command or demand.
  9. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: for you; Notes: indicates recipient of action.
  10. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: provides justification.
  11. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudo; Translation: all; Notes: agrees with feminine singular noun.
  12. multitudo — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: multitude; Notes: collective noun.
  13. sanctorum — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: of holy ones; Notes: defines the group qualitatively.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: copulative verb; Translation: is; Notes: links subject and predicate.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: adds parallel assertion.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: expresses presence within.
  17. ipsis — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: them; Notes: intensive pronoun emphasizing the group.
  18. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense active voice indicative mood third person singular; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: is; Notes: asserts divine presence.
  19. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH in covenantal context.
  20. Cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: interrogative adverb; Function: introduces question; Translation: why; Notes: expresses challenge or accusation.
  21. elevamini — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present tense passive voice indicative mood second person plural; Function: main verb of interrogative clause; Translation: you are exalted / you exalt yourselves; Notes: passive form may carry reflexive sense.
  22. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes accusative; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: above; Notes: indicates superiority.
  23. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: people; Notes: refers to the covenant community.
  24. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: indicates divine ownership of the people.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.