Numeri 4:15 (Numbers 4:15)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:15 Cumque involverint Aaron et filii eius Sanctuarium et omnia vasa eius in commotione castrorum, tunc intrabunt filii Caath ut portent involuta: et non tangent vasa Sanctuarii, ne moriantur. Ista sunt onera filiorum Caath in tabernaculo fœderis:

And when Aaron and his sons shall have wrapped the Sanctuary and all its vessels at the moving of the camps, then the sons of Caath shall enter so that they may carry the wrapped things; and they shall not touch the vessels of the Sanctuary, lest they die. These are the burdens of the sons of Caath in the tabernacle of the covenant;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 involverint they shall have wrapped 3.PL.FUTP.ACT.IND
3 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 filii sons NOM.PL.M
6 eius his POSS.GEN.SG
7 Sanctuarium Sanctuary ACC.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 omnia all ACC.PL.N
10 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N
11 eius its POSS.GEN.SG
12 in at PREP+ABL
13 commotione moving ABL.SG.F
14 castrorum of the camps GEN.PL.N
15 tunc then ADV
16 intrabunt they shall enter 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
17 filii sons NOM.PL.M
18 Caath Kohath INDECL
19 ut so that CONJ
20 portent they may carry 3.PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
21 involuta wrapped things ACC.PL.N
22 et and CONJ
23 non not ADV
24 tangent they shall touch 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
25 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N
26 Sanctuarii of the Sanctuary GEN.SG.N
27 ne lest CONJ
28 moriantur they may die 3.PL.PRES.SUBJ
29 Ista these NOM.PL.N
30 sunt are 3.PL.PRES.ACT.IND
31 onera burdens NOM.PL.N
32 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M
33 Caath Caath INDECL
34 in in PREP+ABL
35 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
36 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Introduced by Cumque, with involverint as the verb. The compound subject is Aaron et filii eius, and the objects are Sanctuarium et omnia vasa eius. The phrase in commotione castrorum functions as a temporal circumstance.

Main Clause 1: tunc intrabunt filii Caath, where filii Caath is the subject and intrabunt the verb. tunc marks sequence after the temporal clause.

Purpose Clause: Introduced by ut, with portent as the subjunctive verb. The object is involuta, referring to the previously wrapped sacred items.

Main Clause 2: et non tangent vasa Sanctuarii, where vasa Sanctuarii is the direct object. The negative adverb non negates the action.

Negative Purpose Clause: Introduced by ne, with moriantur in the subjunctive, expressing prevention: “lest they die.”

Final Clause: Ista sunt onera filiorum Caath forms a copulative statement. in tabernaculo fœderis is a locative phrase describing the sphere of responsibility.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction with enclitic -que; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines temporal force with connection to previous instructions.
  2. involverint — Lemma: involvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they shall have wrapped”; Notes: Indicates completion prior to the next action.
  3. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject; Translation: “Aaron”; Notes: Proper name retained in Hebrew form.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Aaron with his sons.
  5. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Indicates priestly lineage.
  6. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Aaron.
  7. Sanctuarium — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “Sanctuary”; Notes: Central sacred space.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues enumeration.
  9. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: “all”; Notes: Total inclusion.
  10. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: Sacred implements.
  11. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive; Translation: “its”; Notes: Refers to sanctuary.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase; Translation: “at”; Notes: Indicates circumstance.
  13. commotione — Lemma: commotio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “moving”; Notes: Refers to camp relocation.
  14. castrorum — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of camps”; Notes: Military encampment term.
  15. tunc — Lemma: tunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “then”; Notes: Indicates sequence.
  16. intrabunt — Lemma: intro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall enter”; Notes: Action permitted only after preparation.
  17. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to Levites.
  18. Caath — Lemma: Caath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relation; Translation: “Caath”; Notes: Clan designation.
  19. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: purpose marker; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Subjunctive follows.
  20. portent — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: purpose clause verb; Translation: “they may carry”; Notes: Expresses intended function.
  21. involuta — Lemma: involutus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: “wrapped things”; Notes: Refers to prepared sacred objects.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues instruction.
  23. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Prohibition marker.
  24. tangent — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall touch”; Notes: Forbidden action.
  25. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: Sacred objects.
  26. Sanctuarii — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possessive; Translation: “of the Sanctuary”; Notes: Specifies holiness.
  27. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative purpose; Function: introduces clause; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Preventive sense.
  28. moriantur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive deponent, third person plural; Function: verb of negative purpose; Translation: “they may die”; Notes: Expresses consequence avoided.
  29. Ista — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “these”; Notes: Points to preceding duties.
  30. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person plural; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  31. onera — Lemma: onus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “burdens”; Notes: Duties or responsibilities.
  32. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “of the sons”; Notes: Identifies group.
  33. Caath — Lemma: Caath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relation; Translation: “Caath”; Notes: Clan reference.
  34. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial context.
  35. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “tabernacle”; Notes: Sacred dwelling.
  36. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the covenant”; Notes: Defines sacred relationship.

 

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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