Numeri 21:9 (Numbers 21:9)

Posted on May 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 21:9 Fecit ergo Moyses SERPENTEM ÆNEUM, et posuit eum pro signo: quem cum percussi aspicerent, sanabantur.

Therefore Moyses made a BRONZE SERPENT, and placed it as a sign; and when those who had been struck looked upon it, they were healed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecit made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 SERPENTEM serpent ACC.SG.M
5 ÆNEUM bronze ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 posuit placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 eum it ACC.SG.M
9 pro as PREP+ABL
10 signo sign ABL.SG.N
11 quem which REL.ACC.SG.M
12 cum when CONJ
13 percussi those having been struck PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
14 aspicerent looked upon 3PL.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
15 sanabantur they were healed 3PL.IMP.PASS.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Moyses functions as the subject of Fecit and posuit.

Object: SERPENTEM ÆNEUM serves as the direct object of Fecit.

Second Main Clause: posuit eum pro signo describes the placement of the serpent.

Predicate Phrase: pro signo expresses the symbolic role of the serpent.

Relative Clause: quem cum percussi aspicerent describes the condition under which healing occurred.

Subject of Relative Clause: percussi identifies those afflicted by the serpent bites.

Main Result Clause: sanabantur expresses the ongoing healing received by those who looked.

Morphology

  1. Fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “made”; Notes: describes Moyses carrying out the divine command.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: inferential adverb; Function: introduces the consequence of the previous command; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: marks logical continuation from the LORD’s instruction.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Fecit and posuit; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: acts obediently as mediator and leader.
  4. SERPENTEM — Lemma: serpens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of Fecit; Translation: “serpent”; Notes: the crafted object later becomes the means of healing.
  5. ÆNEUM — Lemma: æneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies SERPENTEM; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: specifies the material from which the serpent was made.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: links making with placing.
  7. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: second main narrative verb; Translation: “placed”; Notes: describes positioning the serpent publicly.
  8. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of posuit; Translation: “it”; Notes: refers to the bronze serpent.
  9. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces predicate phrase; Translation: “as”; Notes: expresses role or function.
  10. signo — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: “sign”; Notes: indicates symbolic and visible significance.
  11. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: relative accusative singular masculine; Function: introduces the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers back to the bronze serpent.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: governs the subjunctive verb aspicerent.
  13. percussi — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect passive participle nominative plural masculine; Function: substantive participle functioning as subject; Translation: “those having been struck”; Notes: refers to those bitten by the fiery serpents.
  14. aspicerent — Lemma: aspicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: “looked upon”; Notes: expresses repeated or ongoing action within the narrative setting.
  15. sanabantur — Lemma: sano; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect passive indicative; Function: main result verb; Translation: “they were healed”; Notes: the passive emphasizes healing received rather than performed.

 

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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