Numeri 4:20 (Numbers 4:20)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:20 Alii nulla curiositate videant quæ sunt in Sanctuario priusquam involvantur, alioquin morientur.

Let others by no curiosity see the things which are in the Sanctuary before they are wrapped, otherwise they shall die.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Alii others NOM.PL.M
2 nulla no ABL.SG.F
3 curiositate curiosity ABL.SG.F
4 videant they may see 3.PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 quæ which things REL.ACC.PL.N
6 sunt are 3.PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 Sanctuario Sanctuary ABL.SG.N
9 priusquam before CONJ
10 involvantur they are wrapped 3.PL.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
11 alioquin otherwise ADV
12 morientur they shall die 3.PL.FUT.DEP.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Alii nulla curiositate videant — Alii is the subject, videant is a subjunctive of prohibition or instruction, and nulla curiositate is an ablative of manner, indicating “with no curiosity.”

Relative Clause: quæ sunt in Sanctuario — quæ refers to the things seen, with sunt as the verb and in Sanctuario as a locative phrase.

Temporal Clause: priusquam involvantur — introduces a subordinate clause with subjunctive verb involvantur, indicating action prior to wrapping.

Result Clause: alioquin morientur — expresses consequence if the instruction is violated, with morientur as the future deponent verb.

Morphology

  1. Alii — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “others”; Notes: Refers to those not authorized to handle sacred items.
  2. nulla — Lemma: nullus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies curiositate; Translation: “no”; Notes: Strengthens prohibition by excluding any degree.
  3. curiositate — Lemma: curiositas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “curiosity”; Notes: Indicates motive or attitude of forbidden observation.
  4. videant — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “they may see”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses command-like prohibition in context.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of videant; Translation: “which things”; Notes: Refers to sacred objects.
  6. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “are”; Notes: States existence.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial relation.
  8. Sanctuario — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “Sanctuary”; Notes: Sacred place.
  9. priusquam — Lemma: priusquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates prior condition.
  10. involvantur — Lemma: involvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they are wrapped”; Notes: Subjunctive required after priusquam.
  11. alioquin — Lemma: alioquin; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces consequence; Translation: “otherwise”; Notes: Marks negative outcome.
  12. morientur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future deponent indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of result; Translation: “they shall die”; Notes: Deponent verb expressing fatal consequence.

 

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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