Numeri 3:6 (Numbers 3:6)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:6 Applica tribum Levi, et fac stare in conspectu Aaron sacerdotis ut ministrent ei, et excubent,

Bring near the tribe of Levi, and cause them to stand in the presence of Aaron the priest so that they may minister to him, and may keep watch,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Applica bring near 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 tribum tribe ACC.SG.F
3 Levi Levi GEN.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 fac make 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
6 stare to stand INF.PRES.ACT
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 conspectu presence ABL.SG.M
9 Aaron Aaron GEN.SG.M
10 sacerdotis of priest GEN.SG.M
11 ut so that CONJ
12 ministrent they may minister 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 ei to him DAT.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 excubent they may keep watch 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Imperative Clause: Applica tribum Levi — verb (Applica) + direct object (tribum Levi)

Coordinated Imperative: fac stare — causative construction with infinitive (stare)

Locative Phrase: in conspectu Aaron sacerdotis — indicates position before Aaron the priest

Purpose Clause: ut ministrent ei et excubent — expresses purpose with subjunctive verbs

Indirect Object: ei — dative indicating the one served

Morphology

  1. Applica — Lemma: applico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative 1st conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: bring near; Notes: command addressed to Moysen.
  2. tribum — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine 4th declension; Function: direct object; Translation: tribe; Notes: refers to the tribe being appointed.
  3. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Levi; Notes: specifies which tribe.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links two imperative actions.
  5. fac — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative 3rd conjugation; Function: causative verb; Translation: make; Notes: introduces infinitive construction.
  6. stare — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to stand; Notes: expresses resulting action caused by fac.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: expresses position.
  8. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 4th declension; Function: object of preposition; Translation: presence; Notes: denotes being before someone.
  9. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Aaron; Notes: specifies whose presence.
  10. sacerdotis — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: appositional genitive; Translation: of priest; Notes: further identifies Aaron.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: governs subjunctive verbs.
  12. ministrent — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active subjunctive 1st conjugation; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may minister; Notes: expresses intended service.
  13. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Aaron.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links purpose verbs.
  15. excubent — Lemma: excubo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active subjunctive 1st conjugation; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may keep watch; Notes: denotes guarding or attending duty.

 

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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