Numeri 27:2 (Numbers 27:2)

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 27:2 Steteruntque coram Moyse et Eleazaro sacerdote, et cunctis principibus populi ad ostium tabernaculi fœderis, atque dixerunt:

And they stood before Moyses and Eleazar the priest, and all the Chiefs of the people at the entrance of the tabernacle of the covenant, and they said:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Steteruntque and they stood 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 coram before PREP+ABL
3 Moyse Moyses ABL.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Eleazaro Eleazar ABL.SG.M
6 sacerdote priest ABL.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 cunctis all ABL.PL.M
9 principibus Chiefs ABL.PL.M
10 populi of the people GEN.SG.M
11 ad at PREP+ACC
12 ostium entrance ACC.SG.N
13 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N
14 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N
15 atque and CONJ
16 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Steteruntque is the first main verb, with the implied subject referring back to the daughters of Salphaad.

Prepositional Phrase: coram Moyse et Eleazaro sacerdote et cunctis principibus populi identifies the persons before whom they stood.

Appositional Phrase: sacerdote stands with Eleazaro, identifying Eleazar by office.

Genitive Phrase: populi depends on principibus, identifying the Chiefs as belonging to the people.

Place Phrase: ad ostium tabernaculi fœderis gives the location of the action, “at the entrance of the tabernacle of the covenant.”

Second Main Clause: atque dixerunt introduces the speech that follows.

Morphology

  1. Steteruntque — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Plural with enclitic -que; Function: Main verb with connective force; Translation: “and they stood”; Notes: The verb marks completed standing or taking position before the authorities.
  2. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces the persons before whom the action occurs; Translation: “before”; Notes: Often indicates formal presence before a person or assembly.
  3. Moyse — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of coram; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: Latin biblical form of the personal name, here governed by coram.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinator; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Moyse and Eleazaro as coordinate objects of coram.
  5. Eleazaro — Lemma: Eleazarus; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of coram; Translation: “Eleazar”; Notes: Personal name in the ablative because it is governed by coram.
  6. sacerdote — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Apposition to Eleazaro; Translation: “priest”; Notes: Identifies Eleazar by his priestly office.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinator; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds the Chiefs of the people to the list of persons before whom they stood.
  8. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative Plural Masculine Positive Degree; Function: Modifier of principibus; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes the full public assembly of leaders.
  9. principibus — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of coram; Translation: “Chiefs”; Notes: Refers to leading men or officials of the people.
  10. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying principibus; Translation: “of the people”; Notes: Specifies the community represented by the Chiefs.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces a place phrase; Translation: “at”; Notes: With place terms, ad can mark position at or near a location.
  12. ostium — Lemma: ostium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “entrance”; Notes: Refers to the doorway or opening of the sacred tent.
  13. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Neuter; Function: Genitive modifying ostium; Translation: “of the tabernacle”; Notes: Identifies the structure whose entrance is meant.
  14. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Neuter; Function: Genitive modifying tabernaculi; Translation: “of the covenant”; Notes: Defines the tabernacle in relation to the covenant.
  15. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective introducing the next main verb; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the standing before the assembly with the act of speaking.
  16. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Plural; Function: Main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “they said”; Notes: Opens the words spoken before Moyses, Eleazar, and the Chiefs.

 

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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