Numeri 3:25 (Numbers 3:25)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

25 Et habebunt excubias in tabernaculo fœderis,

And they shall have watches in the tabernacle of the covenant,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 habebunt they shall have 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
3 excubias watches ACC.PL.F
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
6 fœderis of covenant GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: habebunt (main verb) with implied subject “they.”

Object: excubias — direct object, “watches” or guard duties.

Prepositional Phrase: in tabernaculo — locative expression, “in the tabernacle.”

Genitive Phrase: fœderis — specifies the kind of tabernacle, “of the covenant.”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects this clause with the preceding statement; Translation: and; Notes: Introduces a continuation of duties or description.
  2. habebunt — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall have; Notes: Indicates a future or prescribed responsibility.
  3. excubias — Lemma: excubia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of habebunt; Translation: watches; Notes: Refers to guard duties or periods of watchfulness, often in a sacred or military context.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates position within a place.
  5. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: Refers to the sacred dwelling or tent central to worship.
  6. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, third declension; Function: genitive modifier of tabernaculo; Translation: of covenant; Notes: Specifies the sacred character of the tabernacle as belonging to the covenant.

 

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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