Numeri 25:5 (Numbers 25:5)

Posted on May 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 25:5 Dixitque Moyses ad Iudices Israel: Occidat unusquisque proximos suos, qui initiati sunt Beelphegor.

And Moyses said to the judges of Israel: “Let each one kill his neighbors who were initiated into Beelphegor.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Iudices judges ACC.PL.M
5 Israel Israel INDECL.NOUN
6 Occidat let kill 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 unusquisque each one NOM.SG.M.INDEF
8 proximos neighbors ACC.PL.M
9 suos his own ACC.PL.M.POSS
10 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
11 initiati were initiated NOM.PL.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
12 sunt have been 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
13 Beelphegor Baalpeor INDECL.NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Moyses introduces direct speech addressed ad Iudices Israel.

Indirect Address: ad Iudices Israel identifies the recipients of Moyses’ command, with Israel functioning as a dependent identifier modifying Iudices.

Jussive Clause: Occidat unusquisque proximos suos uses the subjunctive Occidat in a command-like force meaning “let each one kill.”

Direct Object: proximos suos functions as the object of Occidat.

Relative Clause: qui initiati sunt Beelphegor modifies proximos suos and identifies those guilty of participation in the cult of Beelphegor.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic conjunction, 3rd conjugation; Function: main narrative verb introducing speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: the enclitic -que closely links this statement to the preceding narrative.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dixitque; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: biblical proper name of Greek origin adapted into Latin usage.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: indicates direction toward the hearers.
  4. Iudices — Lemma: iudex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “judges”; Notes: refers to leaders appointed to administer justice among the people.
  5. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: dependent identifier modifying Iudices; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: specifies the national body to which the judges belonged.
  6. Occidat — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive, 3rd conjugation; Function: jussive subjunctive expressing command; Translation: “let kill”; Notes: subjunctive mood conveys authoritative instruction.
  7. unusquisque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Occidat; Translation: “each one”; Notes: distributive expression emphasizing individual responsibility.
  8. proximos — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantivally; Form: accusative plural masculine superlative degree; Function: direct object of Occidat; Translation: “neighbors”; Notes: literally means “nearest ones,” here referring to close associates or companions.
  9. suos — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies proximos; Translation: “his own”; Notes: reflexive possessive referring back to unusquisque.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: introduces description of the guilty group.
  11. initiati — Lemma: initior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect deponent participle, 1st conjugation; Function: participial component of compound perfect construction; Translation: “having been initiated”; Notes: carries cultic or ritual implications connected with pagan worship.
  12. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the perfect deponent construction; Translation: “have been”; Notes: combines with initiati to express completed participation.
  13. Beelphegor — Lemma: Beelphegor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: complement identifying the cultic association; Translation: “Beelphegor”; Notes: refers to Baal-Peor, the Moabite deity associated with ritual immorality and idolatry.

 

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.