Numeri 33:2 (Numbers 33:2)

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

2 quas descripsit Moyses iuxta castrorum loca, quæ Domini iussione mutabant.

which Moyses recorded according to the places of the encampments, which they changed at the command of the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quas which ACC.PL.F.REL.OBJ
2 descripsit recorded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
5 castrorum of the encampments GEN.PL.N
6 loca places ACC.PL.N
7 quæ which ACC.PL.N.REL.OBJ
8 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
9 iussione by command ABL.SG.F
10 mutabant they changed 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Relative Clause: quas descripsit Moyses continues directly from the preceding verse. quas refers back to mansiones and functions as the direct object of descripsit. Moyses is the subject, and descripsit states that he recorded or wrote down the stations.

Prepositional Phrase: iuxta castrorum loca modifies descripsit. iuxta governs the accusative loca and here has the contextual sense “according to” or “in accordance with.” The genitive castrorum depends on loca, specifying the places as those of the encampments.

Relative Clause: quæ Domini iussione mutabant modifies loca. quæ is neuter plural, agreeing with loca, and functions as the direct object of mutabant. The understood subject of mutabant is the sons of Israel: they changed their encampment places as their journey progressed.

Ablative of Cause or Authority: Domini iussione expresses the divine command governing these changes of encampment. Domini is a possessive genitive dependent on iussione, giving the sense “at the command of the LORD.”

Morphology

  1. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of descripsit, with mansiones from the preceding verse as its antecedent; Translation: “which”; Notes: The feminine plural form agrees with the preceding mansiones, while its accusative case is determined by its function as the object of descripsit.
  2. descripsit — Lemma: describo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the relative clause quas descripsit Moyses; Translation: “recorded”; Notes: In this context the verb denotes writing down or making a record of the successive stations of Israel’s journey.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of descripsit; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: He is identified as the person who recorded the stages of Israel’s journey.
  4. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the phrase iuxta castrorum loca; Translation: “according to”; Notes: Although the word can express physical proximity, here it relates the written itinerary to the successive locations of the encampments.
  5. castrorum — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural neuter, second declension, plural in form and meaning; Function: Genitive modifying loca; Translation: “of the encampments”; Notes: castra is conventionally plural and denotes a camp or encampment; here it characterizes the places occupied during Israel’s journey.
  6. loca — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: Object of the preposition iuxta and antecedent of quæ; Translation: “places”; Notes: The plural refers to the successive locations at which the Israelites encamped.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of mutabant, referring back to loca; Translation: “which”; Notes: Because neuter nominative and accusative plural forms are identical, its accusative function is established by the transitive construction with mutabant.
  8. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: Possessive genitive modifying iussione; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Here Dominus refers to YHWH and identifies the divine authority from whom the command concerning Israel’s movements came.
  9. iussione — Lemma: iussio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine, third declension; Function: Ablative expressing the command or authority according to which the encampments were changed; Translation: “by command”; Notes: Together with Domini, it forms the expression Domini iussione, naturally rendered “at the command of the LORD.”
  10. mutabant — Lemma: muto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, imperfect active indicative, first conjugation; Function: Verb of the relative clause quæ Domini iussione mutabant; Translation: “they changed”; Notes: The imperfect presents the changing of encampment locations as repeated or ongoing during Israel’s journey, with the sons of Israel understood as the subject.

 

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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