Numeri 25:3 (Numbers 25:3)

Posted on May 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 25:3 Initiatusque est Israel Beelphegor: et iratus Dominus,

And Israel was initiated into Beelphegor, and the LORD became angry,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Initiatusque and was initiated NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP+CONJ
2 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Israel Israel INDECL.NOUN
4 Beelphegor Baalpeor INDECL.NOUN
5 et and CONJ
6 iratus become angry NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
7 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Israel functions as the subject of the compound verbal expression Initiatusque est, describing Israel’s initiation into the cult of Beelphegor.

Object/Association: Beelphegor identifies the foreign deity or cult into which Israel became joined.

Main Clause 2: Dominus functions as the subject associated with iratus, expressing divine anger resulting from Israel’s apostasy.

Coordinating Structure: et links Israel’s idolatrous initiation with the LORD’s immediate reaction.

Morphology

  1. Initiatusque — Lemma: initior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle with enclitic conjunction, 1st conjugation; Function: participial component of compound perfect verb construction; Translation: “and having been initiated”; Notes: the enclitic -que joins this clause closely to the preceding narrative; the verb carries religious or cultic implications of initiation.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the perfect deponent construction; Translation: “was”; Notes: combines with Initiatus to form a completed past action.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: subject of Initiatusque est; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: collective national name treated grammatically as singular.
  4. Beelphegor — Lemma: Beelphegor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: complement identifying the deity or cult involved; Translation: “Beelphegor”; Notes: refers to Baal-Peor, associated with Moabite worship and ritual corruption.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: joins the two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: connects Israel’s action directly with divine response.
  6. iratus — Lemma: irascor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: predicate participle describing the LORD’s emotional response; Translation: “having become angry”; Notes: deponent form expressing strong divine wrath.
  7. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject associated with iratus; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH and therefore is translated in all capitals.

 

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.