Numeri 27:12 (Numbers 27:12)

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 27:12 Dixit quoque Dominus ad Moysen: Ascende in montem istum Abarim, et contemplare inde Terram, quam daturus sum filiis Israel.

The LORD also said to Moyses: “Ascend this mountain of Abarim, and from there behold the Land which I am about to give to the sons of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 Ascende ascend 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
7 in into PREP+ACC
8 montem mountain ACC.SG.M
9 istum this ACC.SG.M
10 Abarim Abarim INDECL
11 et and CONJ
12 contemplare behold 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP.MOOD
13 inde from there ADV
14 Terram Land ACC.SG.F
15 quam which REL.ACC.SG.F
16 daturus about to give PTCP.NOM.SG.M
17 sum I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
18 filiis to sons DAT.PL.M
19 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Main Narrative Clause: Dixit quoque Dominus ad Moysen — Dominus is the subject, Dixit is the main verb, and ad Moysen identifies the recipient of the divine speech.

First Imperative Clause: Ascende in montem istum Abarim — a direct command ordering Moyses to ascend the mountain range of Abarim.

Second Imperative Clause: et contemplare inde Terram — a second command instructing Moyses to view the Land from that location.

Relative Clause: quam daturus sum filiis Israel — modifies Terram, identifying it as the Land that the LORD is about to give to Israel.

Future Intention Construction: daturus sum — future active participle with sum, expressing divine intention or imminent future action.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces a new divine speech.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverbial modifier; Translation: “also”; Notes: Connects this divine statement with preceding events.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of Dixit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the speaker of the command.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the recipient of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the addressee of the divine command.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: The leader of Israel and recipient of the command.
  6. Ascende — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Main imperative verb; Translation: “ascend”; Notes: Commands upward movement to the designated mountain.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces motion toward a place; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates movement onto the mountain.
  8. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Refers to the mountain that Moyses must ascend.
  9. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies montem; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points to a specific mountain visible or known to the hearer.
  10. Abarim — Lemma: Abarim; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Apposition to montem; Translation: “Abarim”; Notes: Name of the mountain region east of the Jordan.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the acts of ascending and beholding.
  12. contemplare — Lemma: contemplor; Part of Speech: Deponent Verb; Form: Present Imperative 2nd Person Singular Deponent; Function: Main imperative verb; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Commands attentive observation.
  13. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverbial modifier; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Indicates the vantage point from which the Land is to be viewed.
  14. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of contemplare; Translation: “Land”; Notes: Refers to the promised Land.
  15. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object within the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to Terram.
  16. daturus — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Future Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Forms a future intention construction with sum; Translation: “about to give”; Notes: Expresses intended future action by the LORD.
  17. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 1st Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary with daturus; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Completes the future active participle construction.
  18. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Indirect object of daturus sum; Translation: “to sons”; Notes: Refers collectively to the people of Israel.
  19. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitive relationship reference; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Identifies the covenant nation that will receive the Land.

 

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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