Numeri 20:27 (Numbers 20:27)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:27 Fecit Moyses ut præceperat Dominus: et ascenderunt in montem Hor coram omni multitudine.

Moyses did as the LORD had commanded, and they ascended mount Hor before all the multitude.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecit did 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 ut as CONJ
4 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 ascenderunt they ascended 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 in onto PREP+ACC
9 montem mount ACC.SG.M
10 Hor Hor INDECL
11 coram before PREP+ABL
12 omni all ABL.SG.F
13 multitudine multitude ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Fecit Moyses introduces Moyses’ obedience to the divine command.

Comparative Clause: ut præceperat Dominus explains the manner in which Moyses acted.

Subject: Dominus functions as the one who previously gave the command and is translated as “LORD” because it refers to YHWH.

Coordinated Clause: et ascenderunt in montem Hor narrates the ascent up the mountain.

Directional Phrase: in montem Hor expresses movement upward onto the mountain.

Phrase: coram omni multitudine functions as a phrase of presence, indicating that the ascent occurred publicly before the assembled people.

Morphology

  1. Fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “did”; Notes: emphasizes Moyses’ faithful obedience to the divine instruction.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Fecit; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: refers to the covenant leader carrying out the command.
  3. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: “as”; Notes: compares Moyses’ action with the LORD’s command.
  4. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of comparative clause; Translation: “had commanded”; Notes: indicates a command completed prior to Moyses’ action.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins Moyses’ obedience with the ascent narrative.
  7. ascenderunt — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “they ascended”; Notes: refers to the upward movement of Moyses, Aaron, and Eleazar.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces directional phrase; Translation: “onto”; Notes: with the accusative it expresses movement toward a place.
  9. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “mount”; Notes: refers to the mountain destination.
  10. Hor — Lemma: Hor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition to montem; Translation: “Hor”; Notes: identifies the mountain where Aaron’s priesthood will end.
  11. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces phrase of presence; Translation: “before”; Notes: expresses visibility before witnesses.
  12. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies multitudine; Translation: “all”; Notes: emphasizes the entire assembled community.
  13. multitudine — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of coram; Translation: “multitude”; Notes: refers to the gathered people of Israel witnessing the event.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.