Numeri 31:2 (Numbers 31:2)

Posted on May 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 31:2 Ulciscere prius filios Israel de Madianitis, et sic colligeris ad populum tuum.

“Take vengeance first for the sons of Israel upon the Madianites, and then you shall be gathered to your people.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ulciscere take vengeance 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP.MOOD
2 prius first ADV
3 filios the sons ACC.PL.M
4 Israel of Israel GEN.SG.INDECL
5 de upon / against PREP+ABL
6 Madianitis the Midianites ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 sic then ADV
9 colligeris you shall be gathered 2SG.FUT.PASS.IND
10 ad to PREP+ACC
11 populum your people ACC.SG.M
12 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

1. Main Imperative Clause
The sentence begins with the imperative Ulciscere, directly addressing Moses. The verb is deponent, having passive form but active meaning, and commands him to carry out divine vengeance. The adverb prius (“first”) modifies the imperative, emphasizing that this action must be completed before the subsequent event described later in the verse.

2. Direct Object
filios Israel functions as the object associated with the command. In Biblical Latin, the verb ulciscor may govern the person whose cause is avenged together with a prepositional phrase indicating the object of vengeance. Thus the meaning is “take vengeance for the sons of Israel.”

3. Prepositional Phrase
The phrase de Madianitis modifies Ulciscere. The preposition de, governing the ablative, expresses the object against whom vengeance is to be executed. Here it carries the sense “upon” or “against” the Midianites rather than its more common spatial meaning “from.”

4. Coordinated Main Clause
The conjunction et joins a second principal clause: sic colligeris ad populum tuum. The adverb sic (“then,” “thus”) indicates sequence: only after the commanded mission has been completed will the following event occur.

5. Passive Future Construction
The verb colligeris is future passive indicative. It expresses a future action performed upon Moses rather than by him. The passive voice reflects the biblical idiom of being “gathered to one’s people,” a reverent expression for death and reunion with one’s ancestors.

6. Prepositional Phrase of Destination
ad populum tuum complements colligeris. The preposition ad governs the accusative and expresses destination. Rather than indicating physical movement alone, the phrase forms part of the established biblical idiom meaning entrance into the company of one’s forefathers after death.

7. Overall Structure
The verse consists of two coordinated principal clauses linked by et. The first is a divine command, while the second states its consequence. The progression is deliberate: command, completion of mission, and finally Moses’ death. The syntax therefore reflects both chronological order and theological purpose.

Morphology

  1. Ulciscere — Lemma: ulciscor; Part of Speech: Deponent verb; Form: second-person singular present imperative; Function: Main verb expressing a command; Translation: “take vengeance”; Notes: Passive in form but active in meaning.
  2. prius — Lemma: prius; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies Ulciscere; Translation: “first”; Notes: Indicates chronological priority.
  3. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Object associated with ulciscere; Translation: “the sons”; Notes: Refers to the people whose cause is to be avenged.
  4. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper noun used in the genitive sense; Function: Modifies filios; Translation: “of Israel”; Notes: Specifies the nation concerned.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative case; Function: Introduces the object against whom vengeance is directed; Translation: “upon” / “against”; Notes: Here it has the legal sense of action directed against a people.
  6. Madianitis — Lemma: Madianita; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, first declension; Function: Object of the preposition de; Translation: “the Madianites”; Notes: The nation upon whom vengeance is to be executed.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates the two principal clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects command and consequence.
  8. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies colligeris; Translation: “then”; Notes: Marks the result that follows the completed command.
  9. colligeris — Lemma: colligo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second-person singular future passive indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “you shall be gathered”; Notes: Forms part of the biblical idiom for death.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative case; Function: Introduces the destination of the passive action; Translation: “to”; Notes: Forms the idiom ad populum tuum.
  11. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Object of the preposition ad; Translation: “people”; Notes: Refers to Moses’ ancestors.
  12. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies populum; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agrees with populum in gender, number, and case.

 

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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