Numeri 20:11 (Numbers 20:11)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:11 Cumque elevasset Moyses manum, percutiens virga bis silicem, egressæ sunt aquæ largissimæ, ita ut populus biberet et iumenta.

And when Moyses had lifted up his hand, striking the rock twice with the rod, very abundant waters came forth, so that the people and the cattle drank.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 elevasset had lifted up 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 manum hand ACC.SG.F
5 percutiens striking NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
6 virga with the rod ABL.SG.F
7 bis twice ADV
8 silicem rock ACC.SG.M
9 egressæ having gone forth NOM.PL.F.PERF.DEP.PTCP
10 sunt they were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
11 aquæ waters NOM.PL.F
12 largissimæ very abundant NOM.PL.F.SUPER
13 ita so ADV
14 ut that CONJ
15 populus people NOM.SG.M
16 biberet might drink 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
17 et and CONJ
18 iumenta cattle NOM.PL.N

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque elevasset Moyses manum establishes the circumstance preceding the miracle.

Subject: Moyses functions as the subject performing the action of lifting the hand.

Object: manum functions as the direct object of elevasset.

Participial Phrase: percutiens virga bis silicem describes the accompanying action performed while the hand was raised.

Phrase: virga functions as an ablative of instrument indicating the means used to strike the rock.

Main Clause: egressæ sunt aquæ largissimæ describes the miraculous emergence of abundant water.

Subject: aquæ largissimæ functions as the subject of the deponent verbal construction.

Result Clause: ita ut populus biberet et iumenta expresses the consequence of the miraculous provision.

Compound Subject: populus et iumenta functions as the recipients of the water.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable with enclitic conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: the enclitic -que links the event closely with the preceding narrative.
  2. elevasset — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had lifted up”; Notes: the pluperfect subjunctive presents the completed action prior to the main event.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of elevasset; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: acts as the mediator through whom the miracle occurs.
  4. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of elevasset; Translation: “hand”; Notes: the raised hand signifies deliberate action and authority.
  5. percutiens — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying Moyses; Translation: “striking”; Notes: describes the simultaneous action accompanying the lifting of the hand.
  6. virga — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: “with the rod”; Notes: identifies the instrument through which the rock was struck.
  7. bis — Lemma: bis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb modifying percutiens; Translation: “twice”; Notes: emphasizes repeated striking rather than a single blow.
  8. silicem — Lemma: silex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of percutiens; Translation: “rock”; Notes: refers specifically to a hard stone or flint-like rock.
  9. egressæ — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine perfect deponent participle; Function: part of compound perfect deponent construction; Translation: “having gone forth”; Notes: the deponent form carries active meaning describing the emergence of the waters.
  10. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing egressæ; Translation: “they were”; Notes: forms the perfect tense together with the participle.
  11. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of egressæ sunt; Translation: “waters”; Notes: the plural suggests abundance and overflowing supply.
  12. largissimæ — Lemma: largus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine superlative; Function: modifies aquæ; Translation: “very abundant”; Notes: the superlative intensifies the miraculous quantity of water.
  13. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces result construction; Translation: “so”; Notes: prepares for the statement of consequence.
  14. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces result clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: marks the outcome of the miracle.
  15. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of biberet; Translation: “people”; Notes: collective singular referring to the assembled Israelites.
  16. biberet — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of result clause; Translation: “might drink”; Notes: the subjunctive expresses the result produced by the abundant waters.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins the people and their livestock together in receiving provision.
  18. iumenta — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: coordinated subject understood with biberet; Translation: “cattle”; Notes: refers to beasts of burden and livestock dependent on the water.

 

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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