Numeri 32:2 (Numbers 32:2)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:2 venerunt ad Moysen, et ad Elezarum sacerdotem, et principes multitudinis, atque dixerunt:

they came to Moyses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, and they said:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 venerunt they came 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
4 et and CONJ.INVAR
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 Eleazarum Eleazar ACC.SG.M
7 sacerdotem the priest ACC.SG.M.APPOS
8 et and CONJ.INVAR
9 principes leaders ACC.PL.M
10 multitudinis of the congregation GEN.SG.F
11 atque and CONJ.INVAR
12 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: The understood subject (the sons of Ruben and Gad) performs the compound verbal action venerunt and later dixerunt.

Prepositional Phrases: ad Moysen, ad Eleazarum sacerdotem, and principes multitudinis together identify the people to whom they came. The preposition ad governs the accusative. The final object principes multitudinis is coordinated with the preceding accusative objects.

Apposition: sacerdotem stands in apposition to Eleazarum, identifying his office.

Genitive: multitudinis modifies principes, specifying that they were the leaders of the congregation.

Coordinated Verb: atque dixerunt continues the narrative, introducing the speech that follows.

Morphology

  1. venerunt — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, fourth conjugation; Function: Main verb of the first clause; Translation: “they came”; Notes: Refers to the approach of the tribes of Ruben and Gad to Israel’s leaders.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: Expresses movement toward a person.
  3. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: The accusative follows the preposition of motion.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Coordinates the destinations; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the successive objects of approach.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the second destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: Repeated for clarity before the next object.
  6. Eleazarum — Lemma: Eleazar; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “Eleazar”; Notes: Properly translated in the nominative as Eleazar in English.
  7. sacerdotem — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Apposition to Eleazarum; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: Identifies Eleazar by his sacred office.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects the final object of approach; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the list.
  9. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, third declension; Function: Final object of the implied preposition ad; Translation: “leaders”; Notes: The preposition ad is understood from the previous phrase.
  10. multitudinis — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: Genitive modifying principes; Translation: “of the congregation”; Notes: Specifies the body over which these leaders presided.
  11. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects the second main verb with the first; Translation: “and”; Notes: Often introduces the next action with a close connection.
  12. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “they said”; Notes: Introduces the request that follows in the subsequent verses.

 

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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