Numeri 27:20 (Numbers 27:20)

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 27:20 et dabis ei præcepta cunctis videntibus, et partem gloriæ tuæ, ut audiat eum omnis synagoga filiorum Israel.

and you shall give him instructions in the sight of all, and a portion of your glory, so that the whole assembly of the sons of Israel may listen to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 dabis you shall give 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 ei to him DAT.SG.M
4 præcepta instructions ACC.PL.N
5 cunctis all ABL.PL.M
6 videntibus seeing PTCP.ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 partem portion ACC.SG.F
9 gloriæ of glory GEN.SG.F
10 tuæ your POSS.GEN.SG.F
11 ut so that CONJ
12 audiat may listen 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 eum him ACC.SG.M
14 omnis whole NOM.SG.F
15 synagoga assembly NOM.SG.F
16 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
17 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: et dabis ei præcepta — dabis is the main verb, præcepta is the direct object, and ei refers to Josue as the indirect object.

Ablative Phrase: cunctis videntibus — an ablative construction meaning “with all watching” or “in the sight of all,” emphasizing the public nature of the commissioning.

Coordinated Object: et partem gloriæ tuæ — a second object of dabis, referring to the transfer of a measure of Moyses’ authority and honor to Josue.

Purpose Clause: ut audiat eum omnis synagoga filiorum Israel — expresses the intended result of the public commissioning.

Subject of Purpose Clause: omnis synagoga filiorum Israel — the entire assembly of Israel is expected to heed Josue’s leadership.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of instructions given to Moyses.
  2. dabis — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall give”; Notes: Commands Moyses to confer authority upon Josue.
  3. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object of dabis; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Josue.
  4. præcepta — Lemma: præceptum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Neuter; Function: Direct object of dabis; Translation: “instructions”; Notes: Refers to commands, charges, or authoritative directives.
  5. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies videntibus; Translation: “all”; Notes: Refers to all who are present and observing.
  6. videntibus — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Present Active Participle Ablative Plural Masculine; Function: Ablative phrase; Translation: “seeing”; Notes: Indicates that the commissioning is to occur publicly.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two direct objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins instructions and transferred authority.
  8. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of dabis; Translation: “portion”; Notes: Indicates that Josue receives a share, not the entirety, of Moyses’ status.
  9. gloriæ — Lemma: gloria; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Genitive modifying partem; Translation: “of glory”; Notes: Refers to honor, authority, and public dignity.
  10. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies gloriæ; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Moyses’ authority and prestige.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces a purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: States the intended result of the commissioning.
  12. audiat — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive 3rd Person Singular; Function: Verb of the purpose clause; Translation: “may listen”; Notes: Subjunctive used after ut to express purpose.
  13. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of audiat; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Josue as the leader whom Israel must obey.
  14. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies synagoga; Translation: “whole”; Notes: Emphasizes the entirety of the assembly.
  15. synagoga — Lemma: synagoga; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of audiat; Translation: “assembly”; Notes: Refers to the gathered community of Israel.
  16. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Plural Masculine; Function: Genitive modifying synagoga; Translation: “of sons”; Notes: Identifies the assembly as belonging to Israel.
  17. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitive relationship reference; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Identifies the covenant nation.

 

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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