Numeri 17:7 (Numbers 17:7)

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 17:7 Quas cum posuisset Moyses coram Domino in tabernaculo testimonii:

When Moyses had placed them before the LORD in the tabernacle of the testimony;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quas which ACC.PL.F.REL
2 cum when CONJ
3 posuisset had placed 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
5 coram before PREP+ABL
6 Domino LORD ABL.SG.M
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
9 testimonii of testimony GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Quas cum posuisset Moyses — relative object Quas with verb posuisset and subject Moyses, expressing prior completed action

Prepositional Phrase 1: coram Domino — indicates presence before the LORD

Prepositional Phrase 2: in tabernaculo testimonii — specifies location with genitive relationship

Morphology

  1. Quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of posuisset; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to the rods mentioned previously.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: commonly takes subjunctive in narrative temporal clauses.
  3. posuisset — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had placed; Notes: expresses action completed prior to main clause.
  4. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject of posuisset; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Latinized form of the Hebrew name.
  5. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces relational position; Translation: before; Notes: indicates presence in front of.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of coram; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH, hence translated as “LORD.”
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: indicates placement within.
  8. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: sacred tent of meeting.
  9. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, second declension; Function: modifies tabernaculo; Translation: of testimony; Notes: refers to covenant witness.

 

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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