Numeri 31:46 (Numbers 31:46)

Posted on May 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 31:46 et de hominibus sedecim millibus,

and from the sixteen thousand persons,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 de from PREP
3 hominibus persons ABL.PL.M
4 sedecim sixteen INDECL.NUM
5 millibus thousand ABL.PL.N

Syntax

This is the final elliptical prepositional phrase in the inventory of the Israelites’ half of the spoil. The conjunction et links it to the preceding categories of sheep, cattle, and donkeys.

The prepositional phrase de hominibus sedecim millibus is governed by de, which requires the ablative case. The noun hominibus is the ablative plural object of the preposition, while sedecim millibus expresses the quantity, literally “from sixteen thousand persons.” The numeral sedecim modifies millibus, which stands in the ablative plural because of the governing preposition.

No finite verb appears in this clause. Like the preceding inventory phrases, it functions as an introductory element leading into the following verse, where the one-fiftieth tribute assigned to the Levites will be specified. The verse completes the listing of the four categories of spoil belonging to the non-combatant Israelites.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Parsing: Connects this phrase with the preceding enumeration; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of listed categories.
  2. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative case; Parsing: Introduces the source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates the category from which the Levites’ portion will be taken.
  3. hominibus — Lemma: homo, hominis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, third declension; Parsing: Object of the preposition de; Translation: “persons”; Notes: Refers to the human captives belonging to the Israelites’ half of the spoil.
  4. sedecim — Lemma: sedecim; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: indeclinable; Parsing: Modifies millibus; Translation: “sixteen”; Notes: Expresses the number of thousands.
  5. millibus — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral used substantivally; Form: ablative plural neuter, third declension; Parsing: Governed by the preposition de; Translation: “thousand”; Notes: Together with sedecim, forms the quantity “sixteen thousand.”

 

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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