Numeri 32:36 (Numbers 32:36)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:36 et Bethnemra, et Betharan, urbes munitas, et caulas pecoribus suis.

and Bethnemra, and Betharan, fortified cities, and folds for their livestock.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ.INVAR
2 Bethnemra Beth Nimrah INDECL.OBJ
3 et and CONJ.INVAR
4 Betharan Beth Haran INDECL.OBJ
5 urbes cities ACC.PL.F.APPOS
6 munitas fortified ACC.PL.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
7 et and CONJ.INVAR
8 caulas folds ACC.PL.F.OBJ
9 pecoribus for livestock DAT.PL.N
10 suis their DAT.PL.N.POSS

Syntax

Continuation of the Previous Clause: et Bethnemra, et Betharan continues the list governed by extruxerunt from the preceding verses. Bethnemra and Betharan are additional direct objects of the understood verb “they built.”

Appositional Phrase: urbes munitas stands in apposition to the cities just enumerated and characterizes them as fortified cities. munitas agrees with urbes in case, number, and gender.

Coordinated Direct Object: et caulas adds another object of the understood extruxerunt. In addition to the fortified cities, the sons of Gad constructed folds or enclosures for their livestock.

Dative Phrase: pecoribus suis depends on caulas and expresses the animals for whose use the folds were constructed. suis agrees with pecoribus and refers back to the sons of Gad.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Continues the preceding enumeration; Translation: “and”; Notes: It adds Bethnemra to the continuing list of places built or restored by the sons of Gad.
  2. Bethnemra — Lemma: Bethnemra; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable, functioning as accusative; Function: Direct object of the understood extruxerunt; Translation: “Bethnemra”; Notes: It names another city included in the building activity begun in the preceding verses.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects Bethnemra with Betharan; Translation: “and”; Notes: It continues the coordinated enumeration of cities.
  4. Betharan — Lemma: Betharan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable, functioning as accusative; Function: Direct object of the understood extruxerunt; Translation: “Betharan”; Notes: It completes the sequence of named cities in this portion of the account.
  5. urbes — Lemma: urbs; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine, third declension; Function: Apposition characterizing the named places; Translation: “cities”; Notes: Together with munitas, it describes the constructed or restored settlements as fortified cities.
  6. munitas — Lemma: munio; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Accusative plural feminine, perfect passive participle, fourth conjugation; Function: Modifier of urbes; Translation: “fortified”; Notes: It indicates that the cities were provided with defensive works or otherwise made secure.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Adds caulas to the objects of the understood verb; Translation: “and”; Notes: It shifts the enumeration from fortified settlements to structures intended for livestock.
  8. caulas — Lemma: caula; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: Direct object of the understood extruxerunt; Translation: “folds”; Notes: The word denotes enclosed places or pens constructed for keeping livestock securely.
  9. pecoribus — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural neuter, third declension; Function: Dative of purpose or advantage associated with caulas; Translation: “for livestock”; Notes: It identifies the animals for whose use the folds were constructed.
  10. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural neuter, positive degree; Function: Modifier of pecoribus; Translation: “their”; Notes: The reflexive possessive refers back to the sons of Gad and identifies the livestock as their own.

 

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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