Numeri 20:9 (Numbers 20:9)

Posted on May 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 20:9 Tulit igitur Moyses virgam, quæ erat in conspectu Domini, sicut præceperat ei,

Therefore Moyses took the rod, which was in the presence of the LORD, just as He had commanded him,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 igitur therefore ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 virgam rod ACC.SG.F
5 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL
6 erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 conspectu presence ABL.SG.M
9 Domini LORD GEN.SG.M
10 sicut just as CONJ
11 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
12 ei to him DAT.SG

Syntax

Main Clause: Tulit igitur Moyses virgam narrates Moyses’ obedient response to the divine command.

Subject: Moyses functions as the subject performing the commanded action.

Object: virgam functions as the direct object of Tulit.

Relative Clause: quæ erat in conspectu Domini describes the rod as being located before the LORD.

Phrase: in conspectu Domini functions as a locative phrase expressing sacred presence before YHWH.

Comparative Clause: sicut præceperat ei expresses conformity to the divine instruction previously given.

Morphology

  1. Tulit — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “took”; Notes: expresses completed obedient action by Moyses.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connective; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: connects the action logically to the preceding divine command.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Tulit; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: presented as acting in obedience to the LORD.
  4. virgam — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Tulit; Translation: “rod”; Notes: symbolizes delegated divine authority and miraculous power.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine relative pronoun; Function: introduces relative clause modifying virgam; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers back specifically to the rod.
  6. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: describes the continuing location of the rod before its removal.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: with the ablative it expresses fixed location.
  8. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “presence”; Notes: conveys visibility before divine sight.
  9. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying conspectu; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: here Dominus refers to YHWH and is therefore translated as “LORD.”
  10. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: “just as”; Notes: emphasizes precise conformity to divine instruction.
  11. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of comparative clause; Translation: “had commanded”; Notes: refers to a command given prior to the narrated action.
  12. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of præceperat; Translation: “to him”; Notes: refers to Moyses as recipient of the divine command.

 

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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