Numeri 17:8 (Numbers 17:8)

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 17:8 sequenti die regressus invenit germinasse virgam Aaron in domo Levi: et turgentibus gemmis eruperant flores, qui, foliis dilatatis, in amygdalas deformati sunt.

on the following day he returned and found that the rod of Aaron in the house of Levi had sprouted, and with the buds swelling, flowers had burst forth, which, with the leaves spread out, were formed into almonds.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sequenti following ABL.SG.M/N
2 die day ABL.SG.M
3 regressus having returned PTCP.NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP
4 invenit he found 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 germinasse to have sprouted PERF.ACT.INF
6 virgam rod ACC.SG.F
7 Aaron Aaron INDECL
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 domo house ABL.SG.F
10 Levi Levi INDECL
11 et and CONJ
12 turgentibus swelling PTCP.ABL.PL.F.PRES.ACT
13 gemmis buds ABL.PL.F
14 eruperant had burst forth 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND
15 flores flowers NOM.PL.M
16 qui which NOM.PL.M.REL
17 foliis leaves ABL.PL.N
18 dilatatis having been spread PTCP.ABL.PL.N.PERF.PASS
19 in into PREP+ACC
20 amygdalas almonds ACC.PL.F
21 deformati formed PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS
22 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.PASS.IND

Syntax

Temporal Phrase: sequenti die — ablative of time when

Main Clause 1: regressus (participial modifier) + invenit (verb)
Accusative + Infinitive: virgam Aaron germinasse — indirect statement
Prepositional Phrase: in domo Levi — location

Main Clause 2: flores (subject) + eruperant (verb)
Ablative Absolute: turgentibus gemmis — circumstance

Relative Clause: qui … deformati sunt — describes flores
Ablative Absolute 2: foliis dilatatis — circumstance
Result Phrase: in amygdalas — transformation

Morphology

  1. sequenti — Lemma: sequens; Part of Speech: participle used adjectivally; Form: ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: modifies die; Translation: following; Notes: indicates subsequent time.
  2. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, fifth declension; Function: ablative of time; Translation: day; Notes: expresses time when.
  3. regressus — Lemma: regredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies subject; Translation: having returned; Notes: deponent verb with active sense.
  4. invenit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: he found; Notes: introduces indirect statement.
  5. germinasse — Lemma: germino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active infinitive; Function: infinitive in indirect statement; Translation: to have sprouted; Notes: expresses completed action.
  6. virgam — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: subject of infinitive; Translation: rod; Notes: central symbolic object.
  7. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relation; Translation: Aaron; Notes: indicates possession.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: spatial context.
  9. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, fourth declension; Function: object of in; Translation: house; Notes: denotes lineage or household.
  10. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies domo; Translation: Levi; Notes: tribal designation.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues narrative.
  12. turgentibus — Lemma: turgeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle ablative plural feminine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: swelling; Notes: describes state of buds.
  13. gemmis — Lemma: gemma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, first declension; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: buds; Notes: botanical imagery.
  14. eruperant — Lemma: erumpo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: had burst forth; Notes: indicates prior completed action.
  15. flores — Lemma: flos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: flowers; Notes: result of sprouting.
  16. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to flowers.
  17. foliis — Lemma: folium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, second declension; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: leaves; Notes: describes condition.
  18. dilatatis — Lemma: dilato; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative plural neuter; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: having been spread; Notes: indicates completed expansion.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates transformation; Translation: into; Notes: marks change of state.
  20. amygdalas — Lemma: amygdala; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: object of in; Translation: almonds; Notes: fruit produced.
  21. deformati — Lemma: deformo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate participle; Translation: formed; Notes: describes transformation.
  22. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive indicative third person plural; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: they are; Notes: completes passive construction.

 

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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