Numeri 27:16 (Numbers 27:16)

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 27:16 Provideat Dominus Deus spirituum omnis carnis, hominem, qui sit super multitudinem hanc:

“May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man who shall be over this multitude;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Provideat may appoint 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
2 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 spirituum of spirits GEN.PL.M
5 omnis of all GEN.SG.F
6 carnis flesh GEN.SG.F
7 hominem man ACC.SG.M
8 qui who REL.NOM.SG.M
9 sit may be 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 super over PREP+ACC
11 multitudinem multitude ACC.SG.F
12 hanc this ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Jussive Main Clause: Provideat Dominus Deus spirituum omnis carnis hominem — Provideat is a jussive subjunctive expressing a request or petition. Dominus Deus is the subject, and hominem is the direct object.

Genitive Phrase: spirituum omnis carnis — modifies Deus, describing the LORD as the God who has authority over the spirits of all humanity.

Relative Clause: qui sit super multitudinem hanc — modifies hominem, describing the type of man being requested.

Prepositional Phrase: super multitudinem hanc — indicates leadership, authority, or oversight over the people.

Leadership Petition: Moyses requests that the LORD appoint a successor to lead Israel after his death.

Morphology

  1. Provideat — Lemma: provideo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive 3rd Person Singular; Function: Jussive main verb expressing a request; Translation: “may appoint”; Notes: The subjunctive expresses Moyses’ petition to the LORD.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of Provideat; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Further identifies the LORD as the divine ruler over all life.
  4. spirituum — Lemma: spiritus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Plural Masculine; Function: Genitive dependent on Deus; Translation: “of spirits”; Notes: Refers to the life-principle or spirit possessed by living beings.
  5. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies carnis; Translation: “of all”; Notes: Extends the statement universally.
  6. carnis — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Completes the genitive phrase; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Refers collectively to all mortal humanity.
  7. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of Provideat; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to the future leader who will succeed Moyses.
  8. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of sit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to hominem.
  9. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive 3rd Person Singular; Function: Verb of the relative clause; Translation: “may be”; Notes: Subjunctive because it describes the desired qualities of the man being sought.
  10. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the sphere of authority; Translation: “over”; Notes: Expresses leadership or oversight.
  11. multitudinem — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “multitude”; Notes: Refers to the assembled people of Israel.
  12. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies multitudinem; Translation: “this”; Notes: Points specifically to the current congregation of Israel.

 

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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