Numeri 20:29 (Numbers 20:29)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:29 Illo mortuo in montis supercilio, descendit cum Eleazaro.

After he had died on the summit of the mountain, he descended with Eleazar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Illo him ABL.SG.M
2 mortuo having died ABL.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
3 in on PREP+ABL
4 montis mountain GEN.SG.M
5 supercilio summit ABL.SG.N
6 descendit he descended 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 cum with PREP+ABL
8 Eleazaro Eleazar ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Illo mortuo establishes the circumstance after Aaron’s death.

Phrase: in montis supercilio functions as a locative phrase identifying the place of death upon the mountain summit.

Main Clause: descendit cum Eleazaro narrates the descent from the mountain after Aaron’s death.

Phrase: cum Eleazaro functions as an accompaniment phrase identifying Eleazar as the companion in descent.

Morphology

  1. Illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine demonstrative; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “him”; Notes: refers to Aaron after his death.
  2. mortuo — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having died”; Notes: the deponent participle carries active meaning describing Aaron’s completed death.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “on”; Notes: with the ablative it expresses location.
  4. montis — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying supercilio; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: identifies the mountain whose summit is described.
  5. supercilio — Lemma: supercilium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “summit”; Notes: literally refers to an elevated ridge or brow, here meaning the mountain peak.
  6. descendit — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “he descended”; Notes: the singular subject refers contextually to Moyses.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces accompaniment phrase; Translation: “with”; Notes: expresses association or companionship.
  8. Eleazaro — Lemma: Eleazarus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “Eleazar”; Notes: refers to Aaron’s son and successor in the priesthood.

 

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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