Numeri 9:8 (Numbers 9:8)

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 9:8 Quibus respondit Moyses: State ut consulam quid præcipiat Dominus de vobis.

And to them Moyses answered: “Stand, so that I may consult what the LORD will command concerning you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus to whom DAT.PL.M.REL
2 respondit he answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Moyses Moyses NOM.SG.M
4 State stand 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
5 ut so that CONJ
6 consulam I may consult 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 quid what ACC.SG.N.INTERROG
8 præcipiat he may command 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
10 de concerning PREP+ABL
11 vobis you ABL.PL

Syntax

Main Clause: Quibus respondit Moyses — Quibus functions as dative of reference referring to the petitioners, with Moyses as subject and respondit as the verb.

Imperative Clause: State — direct command addressed to the group, instructing them to remain in place.

Purpose Clause: ut consulam — expresses intention, with consulam in the present subjunctive.

Indirect Question: quid præcipiat Dominus de vobis — quid introduces the interrogative clause, with Dominus as subject and præcipiat in the subjunctive.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to whom; Notes: Refers to the men seeking instruction. In Latin, the verb respondere (to answer) takes the dative case for the person being answered.
    Qui = They (Nominative/Subject)
    Quibus = To whom / To them (Dative/Indirect Object)
    Because it is a connecting relative at the start of the sentence, we translate it as a conjunction plus a demonstrative pronoun. Instead of saying “To whom Moses answered” (which sounds like a fragment in English), we say “And to them Moses answered” to keep the story moving.
  2. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he answered; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moyses; Notes: Mediator between people and the LORD.
  4. State — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: stand; Notes: Instruction to remain while awaiting divine guidance.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Indicates intended action.
  6. consulam — Lemma: consulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: I may consult; Notes: Expresses seeking divine instruction.
  7. quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of præcipiat; Translation: what; Notes: Introduces indirect question.
  8. præcipiat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: he may command; Notes: Subjunctive required in indirect discourse.
  9. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  10. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces topic; Translation: concerning; Notes: Indicates subject matter.
  11. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of de; Translation: you; Notes: Refers to those asking.

 

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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