Numeri 20:13 (Numbers 20:13)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:13 Hæc est aqua contradictionis, ubi iurgati sunt filii Israel contra Dominum, et sanctificatus est in eis.

This is the water of contradiction, where the sons of Israel quarreled against the LORD, and He was sanctified among them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc this NOM.SG.F
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 aqua water NOM.SG.F
4 contradictionis of contradiction GEN.SG.F
5 ubi where ADV
6 iurgati quarreled NOM.PL.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
7 sunt they were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 filii sons NOM.PL.M
9 Israel Israel INDECL
10 contra against PREP+ACC
11 Dominum LORD ACC.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 sanctificatus having been sanctified NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
14 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 in among PREP+ABL
16 eis them ABL.PL

Syntax

Main Clause: Hæc est aqua contradictionis identifies and names the place or event associated with the miraculous water.

Subject: Hæc functions demonstratively, pointing to the water just described.

Predicate Nominative: aqua contradictionis defines the character of the water through the genitive phrase.

Relative-Adverbial Clause: ubi iurgati sunt filii Israel contra Dominum explains the event that gave the water its name.

Subject: filii Israel functions as the subject of the deponent verbal construction.

Phrase: contra Dominum functions as an adversarial phrase expressing opposition toward the LORD.

Main Clause: et sanctificatus est in eis describes the manifestation of the LORD’s holiness among the people.

Phrase: in eis functions as a locative-relational phrase expressing the sphere within which sanctification was displayed.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine demonstrative; Function: demonstrative subject; Translation: “this”; Notes: points directly to the water or event just narrated.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: links the demonstrative subject with its identifying description.
  3. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “water”; Notes: identifies the miraculous water source.
  4. contradictionis — Lemma: contradictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: descriptive genitive modifying aqua; Translation: “of contradiction”; Notes: describes the water as associated with dispute and rebellion.
  5. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces relative-adverbial clause; Translation: “where”; Notes: connects the naming with the historical event.
  6. iurgati — Lemma: iurgor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: part of compound perfect deponent construction; Translation: “quarreled”; Notes: the deponent form carries active meaning involving dispute and contention.
  7. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing iurgati; Translation: “they were”; Notes: forms the perfect tense together with the participle.
  8. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of iurgati sunt; Translation: “sons”; Notes: refers collectively to the covenant descendants.
  9. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies filii; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: identifies the covenant nation involved in the dispute.
  10. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces adversarial phrase; Translation: “against”; Notes: expresses opposition or hostility.
  11. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: links the quarrel with the subsequent manifestation of holiness.
  13. sanctificatus — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: part of compound perfect passive construction; Translation: “having been sanctified”; Notes: expresses the manifestation or vindication of divine holiness.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing sanctificatus; Translation: “was”; Notes: forms the perfect passive tense with the participle.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces locative-relational phrase; Translation: “among”; Notes: with the ablative it indicates sphere or setting.
  16. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of in; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to the people among whom the LORD’s holiness was displayed.

 

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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