Numeri 4:14 (Numbers 4:14)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:14 ponentque cum eo omnia vasa, quibus in ministerio eius utuntur, id est, ignium receptacula, fuscinulas ac tridentes, uncinos et batilla. Cuncta vasa altaris operient simul velamine ianthinarum pellium, et inducent vectes.

and they shall place with it all the vessels by which they serve in its ministry, that is, the fire receptacles, and the forks and tridents, the hooks and the fire-shovels. All the vessels of the altar they shall cover likewise with a covering of blue skins, and they shall insert the poles.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ponentque and they shall place 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
2 cum with PREP+ABL
3 eo it PERS.ABL.SG.N
4 omnia all ACC.PL.N
5 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N
6 quibus by which REL.ABL.PL.N
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 ministerio service ABL.SG.N
9 eius its POSS.GEN.SG
10 utuntur they use 3.PL.PRES.DEP.IND
11 id that DEM.NOM.SG.N
12 est is 3.SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 ignium of fires GEN.PL.M
14 receptacula receptacles ACC.PL.N
15 fuscinulas little forks ACC.PL.F
16 ac and CONJ
17 tridentes tridents ACC.PL.M
18 uncinos hooks ACC.PL.M
19 et and CONJ
20 batilla fire-shovels ACC.PL.N
21 Cuncta all ACC.PL.N
22 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N
23 altaris of the altar GEN.SG.N
24 operient they shall cover 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
25 simul likewise ADV
26 velamine with a covering ABL.SG.N
27 ianthinarum of blue GEN.PL.F
28 pellium skins GEN.PL.F
29 et and CONJ
30 inducent they shall insert 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
31 vectes poles ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: ponentque is the main finite verb, with an implied subject “they.” omnia vasa is the direct object, and cum eo is a prepositional phrase meaning “with it.”

Relative Clause: quibus refers back to vasa. utuntur is a deponent verb governing the ablative, so quibus means “by which / which they use.” in ministerio eius specifies the sphere of use, “in its ministry/service.”

Explanatory Clause: id est introduces an appositional explanation of omnia vasa. The series ignium receptacula, fuscinulas ac tridentes, and uncinos et batilla names the particular implements included.

Main Clause 2: operient is the finite verb, again with an implied plural subject. Cuncta vasa altaris is the direct object. simul velamine ianthinarum pellium functions adverbially and instrumentally, expressing the manner and material of the covering.

Main Clause 3: inducent is coordinated with operient by et. vectes is its direct object. The sense is the insertion or putting in of the carrying poles after the covering has been completed.

Morphology

  1. ponentque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural, with enclitic -que; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: “and they shall place”; Notes: The enclitic joins this action closely to the preceding sequence of ritual instructions.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the accompanying phrase; Translation: “with”; Notes: It marks association with the previously mentioned sacred object.
  3. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of cum; Translation: “it”; Notes: The neuter form points back to the item already under discussion.
  4. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: “all”; Notes: It emphasizes total inclusion of the implements.
  5. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of ponentque; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: The word is a broad term for ritual implements or containers.
  6. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative complement with utuntur in the relative clause; Translation: “by which”; Notes: Because utor takes the ablative, the pronoun appears in the ablative rather than accusative.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces a prepositional phrase of sphere; Translation: “in”; Notes: Here it indicates the context or domain of sacred service.
  8. ministerio — Lemma: ministerium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “service” or “ministry”; Notes: It refers to the practical performance of cultic duties.
  9. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier of ministerio; Translation: “its”; Notes: The genitive ties the service specifically to the object being handled.
  10. utuntur — Lemma: utor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present deponent indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “they use”; Notes: Though passive in form, it is active in meaning, a classic feature of deponent verbs.
  11. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of the explanatory expression id est; Translation: “that”; Notes: In this idiom it introduces clarification or specification.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: copulative verb in the explanatory phrase; Translation: “is”; Notes: Together with id, it functions almost parenthetically, meaning “that is.”
  13. ignium — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying receptacula; Translation: “of fires”; Notes: The plural suggests receptacles associated with live coals or fire use in ritual handling.
  14. receptacula — Lemma: receptaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: first item in apposition explaining vasa; Translation: “receptacles”; Notes: The term is general and here is specified by ignium.
  15. fuscinulas — Lemma: fuscinula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: second item in the explanatory list; Translation: “little forks”; Notes: The diminutive form suggests smaller forked implements used at the altar.
  16. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links fuscinulas and tridentes; Translation: “and”; Notes: It joins closely related items within the same series.
  17. tridentes — Lemma: tridens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: coordinated item in the explanatory list; Translation: “tridents”; Notes: The term denotes three-pronged implements, likely used for handling sacrificial material.
  18. uncinos — Lemma: uncinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: additional item in the explanatory list; Translation: “hooks”; Notes: The word suggests curved implements suitable for lifting or adjusting objects.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links uncinos and batilla; Translation: “and”; Notes: It continues the serial enumeration of sacred utensils.
  20. batilla — Lemma: batillum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: final item in the explanatory list; Translation: “fire-shovels”; Notes: These are implements for moving embers, ash, or burning material.
  21. Cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: “all”; Notes: It restates the comprehensiveness of the instruction in the next clause.
  22. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of operient; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: Here the vessels are specifically associated with the altar.
  23. altaris — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possessive genitive modifying vasa; Translation: “of the altar”; Notes: The genitive narrows the reference to utensils belonging to altar service.
  24. operient — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “they shall cover”; Notes: The future indicative continues the sequence of prescribed ritual actions.
  25. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb; Function: adverbial modifier of operient; Translation: “likewise”; Notes: It suggests accompanying or corresponding action in the covering process.
  26. velamine — Lemma: velamen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means or instrument; Translation: “with a covering”; Notes: It expresses the material means by which the vessels are wrapped.
  27. ianthinarum — Lemma: ianthinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies pellium; Translation: “of blue”; Notes: The color term evokes the distinctive sacred textiles and coverings of the tabernacle setting.
  28. pellium — Lemma: pellis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive with velamine; Translation: “of skins”; Notes: The genitive specifies the material composing the covering.
  29. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the two future verbs operient and inducent; Translation: “and”; Notes: It marks the next practical step following the covering.
  30. inducent — Lemma: induco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb of the final coordinated clause; Translation: “they shall insert”; Notes: In this context the verb refers to putting the carrying poles into place.
  31. vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of inducent; Translation: “poles”; Notes: These are the carrying bars used to transport the sacred object without direct touch.

 

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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