Numeri 16:31 (Numbers 16:31)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:31 Confestim igitur ut cessavit loqui, dirupta est terra sub pedibus eorum:

Immediately therefore, when he ceased to speak, the earth was torn open under their feet;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Confestim immediately ADV
2 igitur therefore CONJ
3 ut when CONJ
4 cessavit he ceased 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 loqui to speak PRES.ACT.INF
6 dirupta torn open NOM.SG.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
7 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 terra earth NOM.SG.F
9 sub under PREP+ABL
10 pedibus feet ABL.PL.M
11 eorum their GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Adverbial Phrase: Confestim igitur — indicates immediate consequence, “immediately therefore.”

Temporal Clause: ut cessavit loqui — expresses time, “when he ceased to speak.”

Main Clause: terra (subject) + dirupta est (verb, passive perfect)

Locative Phrase: sub pedibus eorum — indicates position, “under their feet.”

Morphology

  1. Confestim — Lemma: confestim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies verb; Translation: immediately; Notes: emphasizes suddenness of action.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects to prior statement; Translation: therefore; Notes: marks logical consequence.
  3. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: indicates time of action.
  4. cessavit — Lemma: cesso; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: he ceased; Notes: completed action.
  5. loqui — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive deponent; Function: complement of cessavit; Translation: to speak; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  6. dirupta — Lemma: dirumpo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: part of compound verb; Translation: torn open; Notes: agrees with terra.
  7. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: is; Notes: forms perfect passive construction.
  8. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: earth; Notes: main acting subject.
  9. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates position; Translation: under; Notes: expresses location beneath.
  10. pedibus — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: feet; Notes: denotes lower extremities.
  11. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: their; Notes: refers to those standing.

 

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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