Numeri 32:25 (Numbers 32:25)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:25 Dixeruntque filii Gad et Ruben ad Moysen: Servi tui sumus, faciemus quod iubet dominus noster.

And the sons of Gad and Ruben said to Moyses: “We are your servants; we will do what our lord commands.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixeruntque and they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 filii the sons NOM.PL.M
3 Gad of Gad INDECL
4 et and CONJ.INVAR
5 Ruben of Reuben INDECL
6 ad to PREP+ACC
7 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
8 Servi servants NOM.PL.M.PRED
9 tui your NOM.PL.M.POSS
10 sumus we are 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
11 faciemus we will do 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
12 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL.OBJ
13 iubet commands 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 dominus lord NOM.SG.M
15 noster our NOM.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Narrative Clause: Dixeruntque filii Gad et Ruben ad Moysen introduces the response of the two tribes. filii Gad et Ruben is the subject, Dixeruntque is the verb, and ad Moysen identifies the person to whom they speak.

Subject: filii Gad et Ruben is the compound subject of Dixeruntque. The indeclinable proper names Gad and Ruben specify the tribal ancestry of the sons.

Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen modifies Dixeruntque. The preposition ad governs the accusative Moysen and marks the person addressed.

First Direct-Speech Clause: Servi tui sumus is a copular statement. The understood subject is “we,” sumus is the linking verb, and Servi tui is the predicate expression identifying the speakers as Moyses’ servants.

Second Direct-Speech Clause: faciemus quod iubet dominus noster states their commitment to obedience. faciemus is the main verb with the understood subject “we,” while quod iubet dominus noster functions substantivally as its direct object.

Relative Clause: quod iubet dominus noster means “what our lord commands.” dominus noster is the subject of iubet, while quod is its direct object. In this context dominus noster refers to Moyses, not to the LORD.

Morphology

  1. Dixeruntque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, third conjugation, with enclitic -que; Function: Main verb of the narrative clause; Translation: “and they said”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects the tribes’ response directly with Moyses’ preceding command.
  2. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Head of the subject of Dixeruntque; Translation: “the sons”; Notes: Here the expression denotes the members or descendants of the tribes named immediately afterward.
  3. Gad — Lemma: Gad; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitival specification with filii; Translation: “of Gad”; Notes: The indeclinable tribal name identifies one of the two groups responding to Moyses.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects Gad and Ruben; Translation: “and”; Notes: It joins the two tribal names within the subject expression.
  5. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitival specification with filii; Translation: “of Ruben”; Notes: It identifies the second tribe whose representatives answer Moyses.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces ad Moysen; Translation: “to”; Notes: With a verb of speaking, it identifies the person toward whom the speech is directed.
  7. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of the preposition ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: The accusative form is governed by ad; the English translation uses the nominative form of the proper name.
  8. Servi — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Predicate nominative with sumus; Translation: “servants”; Notes: The speakers describe themselves as subordinate to Moyses and ready to obey his instruction.
  9. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of Servi; Translation: “your”; Notes: It refers to Moyses, the person directly addressed by the speakers.
  10. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, present active indicative; Function: Linking verb connecting the understood subject “we” with Servi tui; Translation: “we are”; Notes: It presents their declared relationship of service to Moyses as their present status.
  11. faciemus — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb of the second direct-speech clause; Translation: “we will do”; Notes: The future expresses their commitment to carry out the command given to them.
  12. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of iubet within a substantive relative clause that functions as the object of faciemus; Translation: “what”; Notes: It represents the substance of the command that the speakers undertake to obey.
  13. iubet — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, present active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Verb of the relative clause; Translation: “commands”; Notes: Its subject is dominus noster, referring here to Moyses.
  14. dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject of iubet; Translation: “lord”; Notes: Here the title refers to Moyses as the human authority being addressed, so it is translated “lord,” not “LORD.”
  15. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of dominus; Translation: “our”; Notes: It identifies Moyses as the authority whom the speakers acknowledge and whose command they promise to obey.

 

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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