Numeri 33:39 (Numbers 33:39)

Posted on May 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 33:39 cum esset annorum centum viginti trium.

when he was one hundred and twenty-three years old.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 cum when CONJ.SUBORD
2 esset he was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
3 annorum of years GEN.PL.M
4 centum one hundred NUM.CARD.INDECL
5 viginti twenty NUM.CARD.INDECL
6 trium three GEN.PL.CARD

Syntax

Temporal Clause: cum esset annorum centum viginti trium means “when he was one hundred and twenty-three years old.” The conjunction cum introduces a subordinate temporal clause, while esset is the imperfect subjunctive of sum. The understood subject is Aaron, continuing from the preceding context.

Cum with the Subjunctive: cum esset supplies the temporal circumstance accompanying the preceding statement of Aaron’s death. The imperfect subjunctive esset places Aaron’s state of being that age within the past narrative setting.

Expression of Age: annorum centum viginti trium literally means “of one hundred twenty-three years.” Biblical and later Latin can express a person’s age by using sum with a genitive of measure or description. Thus the literal grammatical construction “he was of one hundred twenty-three years” is rendered naturally in English as “he was one hundred and twenty-three years old.”

Numerical Construction: centum viginti trium together expresses the number 123. centum and viginti are indeclinable cardinal numerals, while trium, the genitive plural of tres, agrees syntactically with the genitive plural annorum.

Morphology

  1. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Subordinating conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces the temporal subordinate clause cum esset; Translation: “when”; Notes: Here cum establishes the temporal circumstance of Aaron’s age at the time described in the preceding narrative.
  2. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular, imperfect active subjunctive, irregular; Function: Finite verb of the cum clause, with Aaron as the understood subject; Translation: “he was”; Notes: The imperfect subjunctive is appropriate to the subordinate circumstantial-temporal clause within past narration.
  3. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: Genitive of measure or description expressing Aaron’s age; Translation: “of years”; Notes: With esset and the accompanying numeral, it forms the Latin expression for being a specified number of years old.
  4. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: First numerical component modifying annorum; Translation: “one hundred”; Notes: It combines with viginti and trium to express the total 123.
  5. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Second numerical component modifying annorum; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: It contributes twenty to the compound numerical expression centum viginti trium.
  6. trium — Lemma: tres, tria; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: Genitive plural, masculine/feminine/neuter; Function: Final numerical component agreeing syntactically with the genitive plural annorum; Translation: “three”; Notes: Unlike the indeclinable centum and viginti, tres is declined; here trium matches the genitive construction and completes the number 123.

 

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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