Numeri 20:15 (Numbers 20:15)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:15 quo modo descenderint patres nostri in Ægyptum, et habitaverimus ibi multo tempore, afflixerintque nos Ægyptii, et patres nostros:

in what manner our fathers went down into Egypt, and how we lived there for a long time, and the Egypt afflicted us and our fathers;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quo how ADV
2 modo manner ABL.SG.M
3 descenderint went down 3PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 patres fathers NOM.PL.M
5 nostri our NOM.PL.M
6 in into PREP+ACC
7 Ægyptum Egypt ACC.SG.F
8 et and CONJ
9 habitaverimus we lived 1PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
10 ibi there ADV
11 multo much ABL.SG.N
12 tempore time ABL.SG.N
13 afflixerintque and afflicted 3PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
14 nos us ACC.PL
15 Ægyptii Egypt NOM.PL.M
16 et and CONJ
17 patres fathers ACC.PL.M
18 nostros our ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Indirect Question: quo modo descenderint patres nostri in Ægyptum functions as an indirect question explaining the historical situation known to Edom.

Subject: patres nostri functions as the subject of descenderint.

Phrase: in Ægyptum functions as a directional phrase indicating movement into Ægyptum.

Coordinated Clause: et habitaverimus ibi multo tempore continues the historical account of Israel’s residence in Ægyptum.

Phrase: multo tempore functions as an ablative of duration or extent of time.

Coordinated Clause: afflixerintque nos Ægyptii describes the oppression carried out by the Ægyptii.

Subject: Ægyptii functions as the subject of afflixerintque.

Objects: nos et patres nostros function as the direct objects receiving the oppression.

Morphology

  1. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter relative/interrogative; Function: modifies modo in interrogative expression; Translation: “how”; Notes: forms the idiomatic phrase quo modo meaning “in what manner.”
  2. modo — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: part of interrogative phrase; Translation: “manner”; Notes: used idiomatically with quo to introduce an indirect question.
  3. descenderint — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “went down”; Notes: the subjunctive is required in indirect discourse introduced through reported speech.
  4. patres — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of descenderint; Translation: “fathers”; Notes: refers to the ancestors of Israel.
  5. nostri — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine possessive; Function: modifies patres; Translation: “our”; Notes: identifies the ancestors as belonging to Israel.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces directional phrase; Translation: “into”; Notes: with the accusative it expresses movement toward a place.
  7. Ægyptum — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Ægyptum”; Notes: refers to the land of Egypt.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins successive parts of the historical narrative.
  9. habitaverimus — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect discourse; Translation: “we lived”; Notes: continues the reported historical account within indirect speech.
  10. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: locative adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: refers back to Ægyptum.
  11. multo — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter positive; Function: modifies tempore; Translation: “much”; Notes: intensifies the duration of residence.
  12. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of duration or extent of time; Translation: “time”; Notes: indicates a prolonged stay in Ægyptum.
  13. afflixerintque — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active subjunctive with enclitic conjunction; Function: verb of indirect discourse; Translation: “and afflicted”; Notes: the enclitic -que links this oppression closely with the preceding narrative.
  14. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural first person personal pronoun; Function: direct object of afflixerintque; Translation: “us”; Notes: refers to Israel collectively.
  15. Ægyptii — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of afflixerintque; Translation: “Ægyptii”; Notes: refers to the Egyptians as oppressors.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins the two direct objects.
  17. patres — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: second direct object of afflixerintque; Translation: “fathers”; Notes: refers to Israel’s ancestors who suffered oppression.
  18. nostros — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine possessive; Function: modifies patres; Translation: “our”; Notes: identifies the fathers as belonging to Israel.

 

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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