Numeri 32:31 (Numbers 32:31)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:31 Responderuntque filii Gad, et filii Ruben: Sicut locutus est Dominus servis suis, ita faciemus:

And the sons of Gad and the sons of Ruben answered: “As the LORD has spoken to his servants, so will we do;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Responderuntque and they answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 filii the sons NOM.PL.M
3 Gad of Gad INDECL
4 et and CONJ.INVAR
5 filii the sons NOM.PL.M
6 Ruben of Reuben INDECL
7 Sicut as CONJ.INVAR
8 locutus has spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
9 est has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
11 servis to the servants DAT.PL.M
12 suis his DAT.PL.M.POSS
13 ita so ADV.INVAR
14 faciemus we will do 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Narrative Clause: Responderuntque filii Gad, et filii Ruben introduces the response of the two tribes. filii Gad and filii Ruben form the coordinated subject of Responderuntque.

Comparative Clause: Sicut locutus est Dominus servis suis establishes the standard according to which the tribes promise to act. Dominus is the subject, locutus est is the perfect deponent verb, and servis suis is the dative complement identifying those to whom the LORD has spoken.

Correlative Construction: Sicut … ita forms the correlative expression “as … so.” The first clause supplies the standard, while ita faciemus states the corresponding action of the speakers.

Main Direct-Speech Clause: ita faciemus means “so will we do.” The subject “we” is contained in the first-person plural ending of faciemus, while ita indicates conformity with what the LORD has spoken.

Morphology

  1. Responderuntque — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, second conjugation, with enclitic -que; Function: Main verb introducing the response; Translation: “and they answered”; Notes: The enclitic -que joins their reply directly to the alternative terms stated in the preceding verse.
  2. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: First element of the coordinated subject of Responderuntque; Translation: “the sons”; Notes: It denotes the members or descendants of the tribe named immediately afterward.
  3. Gad — Lemma: Gad; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitival specification of filii; Translation: “of Gad”; Notes: It identifies the first tribal group giving the response.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects the two tribal groups; Translation: “and”; Notes: It coordinates the sons of Gad with the sons of Ruben.
  5. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Second element of the coordinated subject of Responderuntque; Translation: “the sons”; Notes: It denotes the members or descendants of Ruben.
  6. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitival specification of filii; Translation: “of Ruben”; Notes: It identifies the second tribal group participating in the response.
  7. Sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable subordinating conjunction; Function: Introduces the comparative clause corresponding to ita; Translation: “as”; Notes: Together with ita, it establishes a direct correspondence between the LORD’s command and the tribes’ promised action.
  8. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Perfect participle of a deponent verb; Form: Nominative singular masculine, perfect deponent participle, third conjugation; Function: Forms the perfect deponent tense with est; Translation: “has spoken”; Notes: Although passive in form, it has active meaning because loquor is deponent.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, present active indicative; Function: Auxiliary completing locutus est; Translation: “has”; Notes: Together with locutus, it forms the perfect deponent expression “has spoken.”
  10. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject of locutus est; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH, whose command communicated through Moyses provides the standard for the tribes’ obedience.
  11. servis — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Dative complement of locutus est; Translation: “to the servants”; Notes: It identifies those to whom the LORD’s instruction has been addressed.
  12. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: Modifier of servis; Translation: “his”; Notes: The reflexive possessive refers back to Dominus, identifying them as the LORD’s own servants.
  13. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable adverb of manner; Function: Modifies faciemus and corresponds to Sicut; Translation: “so”; Notes: It expresses exact conformity between what has been commanded and what the tribes undertake to do.
  14. faciemus — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: First person plural, future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb of the direct-speech response; Translation: “we will do”; Notes: The future tense expresses the tribes’ renewed commitment to fulfil the terms laid down for them.

 

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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