Numeri 8:21 (Numbers 8:21)

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 8:21 purificatique sunt, et laverunt vestimenta sua. Elevavitque eos Aaron in conspectu Domini, et oravit pro eis,

and they were purified, and they washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the presence of the LORD, and he prayed for them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 purificatique and having been purified NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP+CONJ
2 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 et and CONJ
4 laverunt they washed 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 vestimenta garments ACC.PL.N
6 sua their ACC.PL.N.POSS
7 Elevavitque and he lifted 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
8 eos them ACC.PL.M
9 Aaron Aaron INDECL
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 conspectu presence ABL.SG.M
12 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
13 et and CONJ
14 oravit he prayed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 pro for PREP+ABL
16 eis them ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: purificati sunt — passive verbal construction with purificati as predicate participle and sunt as auxiliary, expressing completed purification.

Coordinated Clause: et laverunt vestimenta sua — laverunt takes vestimenta sua as direct object, indicating ritual washing.

Main Clause 2: Elevavitque eos Aaron — Aaron is the subject, eos direct object, with verb preceding subject for narrative emphasis.

Prepositional Phrase: in conspectu Domini — locative phrase indicating the action occurs before the LORD.

Coordinated Clause: et oravit pro eis — oravit governs pro eis, expressing intercession.

Morphology

  1. purificatique — Lemma: purifico; Part of Speech: participle with enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle with enclitic -que; Function: predicate participle agreeing with implied subject; Translation: and having been purified; Notes: Forms a periphrastic passive with sunt, expressing completed state.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary in passive construction; Translation: they are; Notes: Completes the perfect passive periphrastic sense “they have been purified.”
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Links purification with subsequent washing.
  4. laverunt — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of coordinated clause; Translation: they washed; Notes: Indicates a completed ritual action following purification.
  5. vestimenta — Lemma: vestimentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of laverunt; Translation: garments; Notes: Refers to ceremonial clothing requiring cleansing.
  6. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vestimenta; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive possession referring back to the same subject.
  7. Elevavitque — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb introducing new clause; Translation: and he lifted; Notes: The singular subject marks Aaron’s distinct priestly role.
  8. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of Elevavitque; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to the Levites being presented.
  9. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable, functioning nominatively; Function: subject of Elevavitque; Translation: Aaron; Notes: The priest acts as mediator in the ritual action.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: Marks position rather than motion.
  11. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: presence; Notes: Indicates visibility before divine authority.
  12. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying conspectu; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH, emphasizing sacred oversight.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates final clause; Translation: and; Notes: Links ritual action with intercession.
  14. oravit — Lemma: oro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: he prayed; Notes: Highlights priestly intercessory role.
  15. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces beneficiary of prayer; Translation: for; Notes: Expresses substitution or representation.
  16. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of pro; Translation: them; Notes: Refers again to the Levites on whose behalf prayer is made.

 

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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