Numeri 6:2 (Numbers 6:2)

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 6:2 Loquere ad filios Israel, et dices ad eos: Vir, sive mulier, cum fecerint votum ut sanctificentur, et se voluerint Domino consecrare:

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘A man, or a woman, when they shall have made a vow so that they may be set apart, and shall have wished to consecrate themselves to the LORD;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Loquere speak 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP.MOOD
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 filios sons ACC.PL.M
4 Israel Israel INDECL
5 et and CONJ
6 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 eos them ACC.PL.M
9 Vir man NOM.SG.M
10 sive or CONJ
11 mulier woman NOM.SG.F
12 cum when CONJ
13 fecerint they shall have made 3PL.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ
14 votum vow ACC.SG.N
15 ut so that CONJ
16 sanctificentur they may be sanctified 3PL.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
17 et and CONJ
18 se themselves ACC.PL REFL
19 voluerint they shall have wished 3PL.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ
20 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
21 consecrare to consecrate PRES.ACT.INF

Syntax

Main Clause: Loquere functions as the imperative verb, with the implied subject “you.” The coordinated clause et dices continues the command with a future instruction.

Object(s): ad filios Israel and ad eos are prepositional phrases indicating the recipients of the speech.

Appositional Structure: Vir sive mulier introduces the scope of applicability, functioning as a nominative subject for the subordinate clause that follows.

Subordinate Clause: cum fecerint votum is a temporal clause with future perfect subjunctive, describing a completed action prior to the main result.

Purpose Clause: ut sanctificentur expresses purpose, indicating the intended outcome of the vow.

Complementary Structure: se voluerint Domino consecrare contains a reflexive object with an infinitive complement, describing the act of self-dedication.

Morphology

  1. Loquere — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present deponent imperative; Function: main command directed to the addressee; Translation: speak; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning despite passive form.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces direction toward recipients; Translation: to; Notes: Commonly used with verbs of communication.
  3. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: sons; Notes: Refers collectively to descendants.
  4. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitival relationship by apposition; Translation: Israel; Notes: Proper name remains unchanged across cases.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links commands; Translation: and; Notes: Simple connective.
  6. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: secondary command; Translation: you shall say; Notes: Future used for instruction.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Repetition emphasizes direction.
  8. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine demonstrative; Function: object of preposition; Translation: them; Notes: Refers back to the sons of Israel.
  9. Vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of subordinate clause; Translation: man; Notes: Represents individual male.
  10. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: disjunctive; Function: introduces alternative; Translation: or; Notes: Pairs alternatives.
  11. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: woman; Notes: Completes inclusive pair.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: Requires subjunctive.
  13. fecerint — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: they shall have made; Notes: Indicates completed future action relative to main clause.
  14. votum — Lemma: votum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of verb; Translation: vow; Notes: Religious dedication term.
  15. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Triggers subjunctive.
  16. sanctificentur — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present passive subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may be sanctified; Notes: Passive reflects state of consecration.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Connects parallel actions.
  18. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural reflexive; Function: object of infinitive; Translation: themselves; Notes: Reflexive refers to subject.
  19. voluerint — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: they shall have wished; Notes: Indicates completed intention.
  20. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  21. consecrare — Lemma: consecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to consecrate; Notes: Expresses purpose of intention.

 

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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