Numeri 9:2 (Numbers 9:2)

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 9:2 Faciant filii Israel Phase in tempore suo,

“Let the sons of Israel perform the Phase at its appointed time,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Faciant let them do 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
2 filii sons NOM.PL.M
3 Israel Israel INDECL
4 Phase Passover ACC.SG.N.INDECL
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 tempore time ABL.SG.N
7 suo its own ABL.SG.N.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: Faciant filii Israel Phase — Faciant is a present subjunctive used in a jussive sense, with filii Israel as subject and Phase as direct object.

Prepositional Phrase: in tempore suo — ablative phrase indicating the proper or appointed time.

Morphology

  1. Faciant — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: jussive verb; Translation: let them do; Notes: Subjunctive expresses command or exhortation.
  2. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: Refers collectively to the people of Israel.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive relation; Translation: Israel; Notes: Specifies identity of the sons.
  4. Phase — Lemma: Phase; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter indeclinable; Function: direct object; Translation: Pesaḥ; Notes: Refers to the Passover ritual.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces temporal phrase; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates time.
  6. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: time; Notes: Refers to appointed season.
  7. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies tempore; Translation: its own; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to the subject.

 

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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