Numeri 5:4 (Numbers 5:4)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5:4 Feceruntque ita filii Israel, et eiecerunt eos extra castra, sicut locutus erat Dominus Moysi.

And the sons of Israel did thus, and they cast them out outside the camps, just as the LORD had spoken to Moyses.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Feceruntque and they did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ita thus ADV
3 filii sons NOM.PL.M
4 Israel of Israel GEN.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 eiecerunt they cast out 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 eos them ACC.PL.M
8 extra outside PREP+ACC
9 castra camps ACC.PL.N
10 sicut just as CONJ
11 locutus spoken PTCP.PERF.NOM.SG.M
12 erat had been 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
13 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
14 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Feceruntque is the primary verb with the subject filii Israel. The adverb ita modifies the action, indicating manner.

Second Clause: eiecerunt introduces a coordinated action with et, sharing the same subject filii Israel. eos serves as the direct object.

Phrase: extra castra is a prepositional phrase expressing direction or location outside the camps.

Subordinate Clause: sicut locutus erat Dominus Moysi is a comparative clause. Dominus is the subject, and the verb is formed by the periphrastic combination locutus erat.

Indirect Object: Moysi receives the action of speaking in the subordinate clause.

Morphology

  1. Feceruntque — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative, with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: and they did; Notes: the enclitic -que links this clause tightly to the previous instruction.
  2. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies Feceruntque; Translation: thus; Notes: it refers back to the exact manner commanded earlier.
  3. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of both verbs; Translation: sons; Notes: the plural highlights the collective action of the community.
  4. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, indeclinable form; Function: dependent genitive modifying filii; Translation: of Israel; Notes: indicates covenant identity of the actors.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links two coordinate clauses; Translation: and; Notes: maintains narrative continuity.
  6. eiecerunt — Lemma: eicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: they cast out; Notes: describes completed obedience to the command.
  7. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of eiecerunt; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the persons previously identified as unclean.
  8. extra — Lemma: extra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the accusative; Function: introduces a phrase of motion or position outside; Translation: outside; Notes: emphasizes complete exclusion from the camp.
  9. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of extra; Translation: camps; Notes: the plural reflects the organized encampments of the people.
  10. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a comparative clause; Translation: just as; Notes: connects the action to prior divine instruction.
  11. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent participle); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: part of the periphrastic verb with erat; Translation: spoken; Notes: deponent verb uses active meaning despite passive form.
  12. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary forming pluperfect meaning with locutus; Translation: had been; Notes: combines with the participle to express prior completed speech.
  13. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of the subordinate clause; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH, hence rendered in all caps.
  14. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: indirect object of locutus erat; Translation: to Moyses; Notes: marks the recipient of the divine command.

 

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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