Numeri 32:20 (Numbers 32:20)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:20 Quibus Moyses ait: Si facitis quod promittitis, expediti pergite coram Domino ad pugnam:

To them Moyses said: “If you do what you promise, go armed before the LORD to battle;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus to whom DAT.PL.M.REL.IOBJ
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 ait said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Si if CONJ.INVAR
5 facitis you do 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
6 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL.OBJ
7 promittitis you promise 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 expediti armed NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
9 pergite go 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
10 coram before PREP+ABL
11 Domino the LORD ABL.SG.M
12 ad to PREP+ACC
13 pugnam battle ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Narrative Clause: Quibus Moyses ait introduces Moyses’ response to the proposal. Moyses is the subject, ait is the verb of speaking, and Quibus is a dative relative pronoun referring to those to whom he speaks.

Conditional Clause: Si facitis quod promittitis states the condition upon which Moyses accepts their proposal. The understood subject of facitis is “you,” and quod promittitis functions substantivally as the object of facitis.

Relative Clause: quod promittitis means “what you promise.” The relative pronoun quod is the direct object of promittitis and refers to the undertaking just made by the tribes.

Main Command: expediti pergite gives Moyses’ instruction. The understood subject is the second-person plural “you,” pergite is the imperative verb, and expediti describes the men as armed and ready for service.

Prepositional Phrase: coram Domino modifies pergite. coram governs the ablative Domino and expresses that their military service is undertaken before the LORD.

Prepositional Phrase: ad pugnam modifies pergite and expresses the destination or purpose of their going: they are to proceed to battle.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object of ait, referring to the men who had just spoken; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: The relative pronoun links Moyses’ reply directly to the preceding speech of the tribes.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of ait; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: He responds to the undertaking proposed by the representatives of Ruben and Gad.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, present active indicative, defective verb; Function: Main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: The present form is conventionally used in narrative to introduce spoken words.
  4. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: It makes Moyses’ acceptance dependent upon the tribes actually fulfilling their promise.
  5. facitis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural, present active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the conditional clause; Translation: “you do”; Notes: It refers to carrying out in action what the tribes have undertaken verbally.
  6. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of promittitis and part of the substantive relative expression serving as the object of facitis; Translation: “what”; Notes: It refers to the promise made in the immediately preceding statements.
  7. promittitis — Lemma: promitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural, present active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the relative clause quod promittitis; Translation: “you promise”; Notes: It refers to their pledge to fight until the other Israelites have obtained their inheritance.
  8. expediti — Lemma: expedio; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Nominative plural masculine, perfect passive participle, fourth conjugation; Function: Predicative circumstantial modifier of the understood subject of pergite; Translation: “armed”; Notes: In military context it describes men equipped and unencumbered, ready for active service.
  9. pergite — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second person plural, present active imperative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb of Moyses’ command; Translation: “go”; Notes: Moyses commands the armed men to proceed with the campaign under the stated condition.
  10. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces coram Domino; Translation: “before”; Notes: The expression places their undertaking in the presence and under the authority of the LORD.
  11. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Object of the preposition coram; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH, before whom Israel’s campaign is to be conducted.
  12. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ad pugnam; Translation: “to”; Notes: It expresses the purpose or destination of their advance.
  13. pugnam — Lemma: pugna; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: Object of the preposition ad; Translation: “battle”; Notes: It refers to the military campaign in which the tribes have promised to participate.

 

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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