Numeri 18:2 (Numbers 18:2)

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 18:2 sed et fratres tuos de tribu Levi, et sceptrum patris tui sume tecum, præstoque sint, et ministrent tibi: tu autem et filii tui ministrabitis in tabernaculo testimonii.

But your brothers also from the tribe of Levi and the staff of your father take with you and let them be present and let them minister to you but you and your sons shall minister in the tabernacle of the testimony

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sed but CONJ
2 et also ADV
3 fratres brothers ACC.PL.M
4 tuos your POSS.ACC.PL.M
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 tribu tribe ABL.SG.F
7 Levi Levi INDECL
8 et and CONJ
9 sceptrum staff ACC.SG.N
10 patris of father GEN.SG.M
11 tui your POSS.GEN.SG.M
12 sume take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
13 tecum with you ABL.SG.PERS
14 præstoque and ready ADV
15 sint let them be 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
16 et and CONJ
17 ministrent let them minister 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
18 tibi to you DAT.SG.PERS
19 tu you NOM.SG.PERS
20 autem however CONJ
21 et and CONJ
22 filii sons NOM.PL.M
23 tui your POSS.NOM.PL.M
24 ministrabitis you shall minister 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
25 in in PREP+ABL
26 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
27 testimonii of testimony GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Imperative Clause: sume governs objects fratres tuos and sceptrum patris tui, with source phrase de tribu Levi and accompaniment tecum.

Subjunctive Purpose/Result Clause: præstoque sint and ministrent tibi express desired outcome — readiness and service directed toward tibi.

Contrastive Clause: tu autem et filii tui ministrabitis — subject tu et filii tui contrasted by autem, with future verb indicating assigned duty.

Locative Phrase: in tabernaculo testimonii — specifies place and sacred function.

Morphology

  1. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: signals shift from previous instruction.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: intensifies inclusion.
  3. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: brothers; Notes: refers to fellow Levites.
  4. tuos — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratres; Translation: your; Notes: indicates kinship.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: expresses origin; Translation: from; Notes: marks tribal affiliation.
  6. tribu — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine fourth declension; Function: object of preposition; Translation: tribe; Notes: denotes clan division.
  7. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition; Translation: Levi; Notes: identifies priestly tribe.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins objects; Translation: and; Notes: connects additional element.
  9. sceptrum — Lemma: sceptrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: staff; Notes: symbol of authority.
  10. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine third declension; Function: genitive modifier; Translation: of father; Notes: denotes lineage.
  11. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: your; Notes: possession indicator.
  12. sume — Lemma: sumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: main command; Translation: take; Notes: direct instruction to Aaron.
  13. tecum — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular with cum; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: enclitic construction.
  14. præstoque — Lemma: præsto; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable with enclitic conjunction; Function: predicate complement; Translation: and ready; Notes: expresses readiness.
  15. sint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive active; Function: jussive clause; Translation: let them be; Notes: expresses command or wish.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links verbs; Translation: and; Notes: continues sequence.
  17. ministrent — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: jussive; Translation: let them minister; Notes: denotes service role.
  18. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: recipient of service.
  19. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: you; Notes: emphatic repetition.
  20. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: postpositive; Function: contrast; Translation: however; Notes: marks distinction.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins subject; Translation: and; Notes: simple addition.
  22. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine second declension; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: priestly heirs.
  23. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies filii; Translation: your; Notes: agreement maintained.
  24. ministrabitis — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall minister; Notes: future duty assigned.
  25. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: indicates place.
  26. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter second declension; Function: object of preposition; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: sacred dwelling.
  27. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter second declension; Function: genitive modifier; Translation: of testimony; Notes: specifies covenantal function.

 

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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