Numeri 2:12 (Numbers 2:12)

Posted on April 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 2:12 Iuxta eum castrametati sunt de tribu Simeon: quorum princeps fuit Salamiel filius Surisaddai.

Next to him they camped from the tribe of Simeon, whose leader was Salamiel son of Surisaddai.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iuxta next to PREP+ACC
2 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M.PERS
3 castrametati having camped PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.DEP
4 sunt have 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 tribu tribe NOUN.ABL.SG.F.4TH DECL
7 Simeon Simeon NOUN.INDECL
8 quorum whose PRON.GEN.PL.REL
9 princeps leader NOUN.NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
10 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 Salamiel Shelumiel NOUN.NOM.SG.M.INDECL
12 filius son NOUN.NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
13 Surisaddai Zurishaddai NOUN.GEN.SG.M.INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: castrametati sunt — compound verbal expression meaning “they camped.”

Subject: implied plural referring to members of the tribe.

Locational Phrase: iuxta eum — indicates the relative position of the camp.

Source Phrase: de tribu Simeon — specifies the tribe from which the group belongs.

Relative Clause: quorum princeps fuit Salamiel filius Surisaddai — provides identifying information about the tribal leader.

Subject of Relative Clause: princeps.

Verb of Relative Clause: fuit.

Predicate Identification: Salamiel filius Surisaddai, naming the chief and indicating lineage.

Morphology

  1. Iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing accusative; Function: introduces spatial relation; Translation: next to / beside; Notes: Used to describe relative placement of camps.
  2. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine personal pronoun; Function: object of the preposition iuxta; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to the previously mentioned tribal camp.
  3. castrametati — Lemma: castrametor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle of a deponent verb; Function: forms the perfect tense with sunt; Translation: having camped / encamped; Notes: Military verb describing the act of pitching camp.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary forming the perfect tense with castrametati; Translation: have; Notes: Combined with the participle to express completed action.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing ablative; Function: introduces phrase of origin; Translation: from / of; Notes: Used for tribal identification.
  6. tribu — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, fourth declension; Function: object of de; Translation: tribe; Notes: Refers to one of the tribes of Israel.
  7. Simeon — Lemma: Simeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition identifying the tribe; Translation: Simeon; Notes: Hebrew tribal name retained without Latin declension.
  8. quorum — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: introduces relative clause referring to members of the tribe; Translation: whose; Notes: Connects the description of the tribal leader.
  9. princeps — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject of fuit; Translation: leader / chief; Notes: Denotes the appointed head of the tribe.
  10. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: was; Notes: Indicates the leadership position in the census record.
  11. Salamiel — Lemma: Salamiel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: predicate identification; Translation: Salamiel; Notes: Personal name of the tribal leader.
  12. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine second declension; Function: apposition identifying lineage; Translation: son; Notes: Indicates paternal descent.
  13. Surisaddai — Lemma: Surisaddai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive modifying filius; Translation: of Surisaddai; Notes: Hebrew personal name preserved in Latin form.

 

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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