Numeri 27:3 (Numbers 27:3)

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 27:3 Pater noster mortuus est in deserto, nec fuit in seditione, quæ concitata est contra Dominum sub Core, sed in peccato suo mortuus est: hic non habuit mares filios. Cur tollitur nomen illius de familia sua, quia non habuit filium? Date nobis possessionem inter cognatos patris nostri.

“Our father died in the desert, and he was not in the sedition which was stirred up against the LORD under Core, but he died in his own sin; he had no male sons. Why is his name taken away from his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the kinsmen of our father.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Pater father NOM.SG.M
2 noster our POSS.NOM.SG.M
3 mortuus died PTCP.NOM.SG.M
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 deserto desert ABL.SG.N
7 nec and not CONJ
8 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 seditione sedition ABL.SG.F
11 quæ which REL.NOM.SG.F
12 concitata stirred up PTCP.NOM.SG.F
13 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 contra against PREP+ACC
15 Dominum LORD ACC.SG.M
16 sub under PREP+ABL
17 Core Korah ABL.SG.M
18 sed but CONJ
19 in in PREP+ABL
20 peccato sin ABL.SG.N
21 suo his own POSS.ABL.SG.N
22 mortuus died PTCP.NOM.SG.M
23 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
24 hic he DEM.NOM.SG.M
25 non not ADV
26 habuit had 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
27 mares male ACC.PL.M
28 filios sons ACC.PL.M
29 Cur why ADV
30 tollitur is taken away 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
31 nomen name NOM.SG.N
32 illius of him DEM.GEN.SG.M
33 de from PREP+ABL
34 familia family ABL.SG.F
35 sua his own POSS.ABL.SG.F
36 quia because CONJ
37 non not ADV
38 habuit had 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
39 filium son ACC.SG.M
40 Date give 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
41 nobis to us DAT.PL
42 possessionem possession ACC.SG.F
43 inter among PREP+ACC
44 cognatos kinsmen ACC.PL.M
45 patris of father GEN.SG.M
46 nostri our POSS.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Pater noster mortuus est — subject Pater with possessive modifier noster and compound verbal expression mortuus est.

Place Phrase: in deserto — prepositional phrase showing where their father died.

Negative Contrast: nec fuit in seditione — denies his participation in the rebellion.

Relative Clause: quæ concitata est contra Dominum sub Core — modifies seditione, identifying the sedition as the one stirred up against the LORD under Core.

Contrasting Clause: sed in peccato suo mortuus est — contrasts private guilt with public rebellion.

Explanatory Clause: hic non habuit mares filios — explains the legal problem: he had no male sons.

Question Clause: Cur tollitur nomen illius de familia sua — asks why his name should be removed from his family.

Causal Clause: quia non habuit filium — gives the stated reason for the threatened loss of family name.

Imperative Clause: Date nobis possessionem — direct request with possessionem as object and nobis as indirect object.

Prepositional Phrase: inter cognatos patris nostri — identifies the inheritance location among the father’s kinsmen.

Morphology

  1. Pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of mortuus est; Translation: “father”; Notes: Names the deceased parent whose inheritance line is under discussion.
  2. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies Pater; Translation: “our”; Notes: Identifies the speaker group as the daughters of the deceased man.
  3. mortuus — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect Participle Nominative Singular Masculine from a deponent verb; Function: Verbal adjective in the compound expression mortuus est; Translation: “dead”; Notes: With est, it forms the normal Latin perfect sense “died.”
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary with mortuus; Translation: “is”; Notes: Combines with the perfect participle to express completed death.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative here; Function: Introduces a place phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative, it marks location rather than motion toward.
  6. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “desert”; Notes: Gives the wilderness setting of the father’s death.
  7. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negative coordinator; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Denies association with the following rebellion.
  8. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Verb of the negative clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: States that he was not counted among the rebels.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative here; Function: Introduces the sphere or group of involvement; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks participation within a sedition, here denied by nec.
  10. seditione — Lemma: seditio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “sedition”; Notes: Refers to organized rebellion or uprising.
  11. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of concitata est; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to seditione.
  12. concitata — Lemma: concito; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Forms passive verbal expression with est; Translation: “stirred up”; Notes: Describes the sedition as deliberately aroused or incited.
  13. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary with concitata; Translation: “was”; Notes: Completes the passive verbal idea “was stirred up.”
  14. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the opponent of the sedition; Translation: “against”; Notes: Marks hostile direction toward the LORD.
  15. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of contra; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the one against whom the sedition was stirred up.
  16. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative here; Function: Introduces the leader or circumstance under which the rebellion occurred; Translation: “under”; Notes: With the ablative, it can mark being under someone’s leadership or authority.
  17. Core — Lemma: Core; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of sub; Translation: “Core”; Notes: Preserves the Latin personal name associated with the rebellion.
  18. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adversative connector; Translation: “but”; Notes: Contrasts rebellion under Core with the father’s own personal sin.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative here; Function: Introduces the circumstance of death; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks the moral sphere in which his death is described.
  20. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “sin”; Notes: Contrasts private guilt with participation in public revolt.
  21. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies peccato; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Emphasizes that the sin was his own, not the corporate rebellion of Core.
  22. mortuus — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect Participle Nominative Singular Masculine from a deponent verb; Function: Verbal adjective in mortuus est; Translation: “dead”; Notes: Repeats the fact of death while clarifying its cause.
  23. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary with mortuus; Translation: “is”; Notes: Completes the verbal expression meaning “died.”
  24. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of habuit; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers back to the father just described.
  25. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable negative adverb; Function: Negates habuit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the existence of male sons.
  26. habuit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Main verb of possession; Translation: “had”; Notes: Establishes the legal issue behind the inheritance request.
  27. mares — Lemma: mas; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine Positive Degree; Function: Modifier of filios; Translation: “male”; Notes: Specifies sons as male heirs in the inheritance context.
  28. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Direct object of habuit; Translation: “sons”; Notes: The absence of sons creates the inheritance question.
  29. Cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable interrogative adverb; Function: Introduces a question; Translation: “why”; Notes: Opens the legal challenge posed by the daughters.
  30. tollitur — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Passive Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Main verb of the question; Translation: “is taken away”; Notes: Refers to the removal or loss of the father’s name from the family line.
  31. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Neuter; Function: Subject of tollitur; Translation: “name”; Notes: Represents family identity and inheritance continuity.
  32. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying nomen; Translation: “of him”; Notes: Refers to the deceased father.
  33. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces source or removal phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks separation from the family line.
  34. familia — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “family”; Notes: Refers to the paternal household or clan identity.
  35. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies familia; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Relates the family directly to the deceased father.
  36. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Gives the reason for the possible removal of the father’s name.
  37. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable negative adverb; Function: Negates habuit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Repeats the absence of a son as the cause of the legal problem.
  38. habuit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Verb of the causal clause; Translation: “had”; Notes: States the lack of a son as an accomplished fact.
  39. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of habuit; Translation: “son”; Notes: Singular form focuses on the absence of even one male heir.
  40. Date — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative 2nd Person Plural; Function: Main imperative verb; Translation: “give”; Notes: Directly petitions the leaders for an inheritance grant.
  41. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun; Form: Dative Plural; Function: Indirect object of Date; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Refers to the daughters as recipients of the requested possession.
  42. possessionem — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of Date; Translation: “possession”; Notes: Refers to an inheritance holding or landed share.
  43. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the group among whom the possession is requested; Translation: “among”; Notes: Places the inheritance within the father’s kinship group.
  44. cognatos — Lemma: cognatus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of inter; Translation: “kinsmen”; Notes: Refers to relatives within the paternal clan.
  45. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive modifying cognatos; Translation: “of father”; Notes: Identifies the relatives as belonging to the father’s line.
  46. nostri — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “our”; Notes: Keeps the petition grounded in their paternal inheritance claim.

 

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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