Numeri 16:33 (Numbers 16:33)

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 16:33 descenderuntque vivi in infernum operti humo, et perierunt de medio multitudinis.

And they went down alive into the underworld, covered by the ground, and they perished from the midst of the multitude.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 descenderuntque and they went down 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 vivi alive NOM.PL.M
3 in into PREP+ACC
4 infernum underworld ACC.SG.M
5 operti covered NOM.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
6 humo by ground ABL.SG.F
7 et and CONJ
8 perierunt they perished 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
9 de from PREP+ABL
10 medio midst ABL.SG.N
11 multitudinis of multitude GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: descenderuntque (verb) + vivi (predicate adjective)

Directional Phrase: in infernum — expresses movement into place

Participial Phrase: operti humo — describes condition accompanying descent

Main Clause 2: perierunt (verb)

Prepositional Phrase: de medio multitudinis — expresses separation, “from the midst of the multitude”

Morphology

  1. descenderuntque — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they went down; Notes: enclitic connects action to previous clause.
  2. vivi — Lemma: vivus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: alive; Notes: emphasizes state during action.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: into; Notes: movement toward interior.
  4. infernum — Lemma: infernus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: underworld; Notes: realm of the dead.
  5. operti — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies subject; Translation: covered; Notes: indicates completed covering.
  6. humo — Lemma: humus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: by ground; Notes: indicates instrument or material.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple addition.
  8. perierunt — Lemma: pereo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they perished; Notes: denotes complete destruction.
  9. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation; Translation: from; Notes: expresses removal.
  10. medio — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: midst; Notes: substantive use.
  11. multitudinis — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of multitude; Notes: specifies group.

 

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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