Numeri 35:7 (Numbers 35:7)

Posted on June 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 35:7 id est, simul quadraginta octo cum suburbanis suis.

That is, forty-eight in all, together with their surrounding lands.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 id that DEM.NOM.SG.N
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 simul in all ADV.INVAR
4 quadraginta forty INDECL
5 octo eight INDECL
6 cum with PREP+ABL
7 suburbanis surrounding lands ABL.PL.N ADJ.POS
8 suis their own POSS.REFL.ABL.PL.N

Syntax

Explanatory Construction: id est, simul quadraginta octo cum suburbanis suis completes the numerical enumeration begun in the preceding verse. The expression id est introduces a clarification of the total number of towns to be allocated to the Levites. The six refuge towns and the additional forty-two towns together make forty-eight towns.

Explanatory Formula: id est means “that is.” The demonstrative pronoun id is nominative singular neuter and functions as the subject of est. The verb est is the third-person singular present indicative of sum. Together, they form a conventional Latin expression introducing a restatement or explanation of what has just been said.

Demonstrative Reference: id refers to the preceding enumeration of the Levitical towns. Its neuter singular form summarizes the numerical statement as a whole rather than referring to an individual town.

Adverb of Totality: simul means “together” or “in all.” It modifies the numerical expression quadraginta octo by indicating the combined total of the two groups of towns previously enumerated.

Numerical Construction: quadraginta octo means “forty-eight.” Both quadraginta and octo are indeclinable cardinal numerals. They combine to express the complete number of towns designated for the Levites.

Elliptical Construction: The expression simul quadraginta octo omits the noun oppida, which is readily supplied from the preceding verse. The understood sense is “forty-eight towns in all.” This ellipsis avoids repeating a noun already established by the immediate context.

Accompanying Property Phrase: cum suburbanis suis means “with their own surrounding lands.” The preposition cum governs the ablative plural suburbanis, while the possessive adjective suis agrees with it in case, number, and gender.

Substantivized Adjective: suburbanis is an ablative plural neuter form of suburbanus, used substantivally to designate the lands surrounding the towns. Its meaning is established by the preceding instructions, where the same term describes the lands allocated around the Levitical settlements.

Reflexive Possessive Construction: suis is the ablative plural neuter form of the reflexive possessive adjective suus. It modifies suburbanis and identifies the surrounding lands as belonging to or being associated with the towns included in the allocation. Its reference is understood from the Levitical towns mentioned in the preceding context.

Relationship to the Preceding Verse: The previous verse distinguishes six towns designated as refuges from forty-two additional towns. The present verse brings those two quantities together through simul quadraginta octo and specifies that the allocated towns include their accompanying lands.

Clause Function: The sentence serves as a concluding numerical clarification of the allocation. It confirms that the Levites are to receive forty-eight towns altogether, including the six refuge towns, and that the surrounding lands associated with those towns form part of the provision.

Morphology

  1. id — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of est, introducing an explanation of the preceding numerical statement; Translation: “that”; Notes: The pronoun refers collectively to the preceding enumeration of six refuge towns and forty-two additional towns. In the conventional expression id est, it introduces a clarification or restatement.
  2. est — Lemma: sum, esse, fui; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third-person singular, present tense, active voice, indicative mood, irregular conjugation; Function: Copular verb joining id to the explanatory numerical expression that follows; Translation: “is”; Notes: Together with id, the verb forms the common explanatory expression meaning “that is.” It introduces the combined total of the towns mentioned in the preceding verse.
  3. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable adverb; Function: Modifies quadraginta octo, indicating that the numeral represents the combined total; Translation: “in all”; Notes: The adverb expresses combination or totality. Here it establishes that the six refuge towns and the forty-two other towns are counted together, rather than representing separate allocations of forty-eight towns each.
  4. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: Indeclinable numeral expressing the quantity forty; Function: Supplies the tens component of the compound numerical expression quadraginta octo; Translation: “forty”; Notes: The numeral combines with octo to specify the total of forty-eight towns. The noun oppida is understood from the preceding verse.
  5. octo — Lemma: octo; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: Indeclinable numeral expressing the quantity eight; Function: Completes the compound numerical expression quadraginta octo; Translation: “eight”; Notes: The numeral supplies the units component of the total. Together with quadraginta, it identifies the forty-eight towns assigned to the Levites, including the six places of refuge.
  6. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces suburbanis suis as property accompanying the allotted towns; Translation: “with”; Notes: The preposition expresses accompaniment or association. It indicates that the forty-eight towns are allocated together with their surrounding lands, not as settlements detached from the property needed for their use.
  7. suburbanis — Lemma: suburbanus, suburbana, suburbanum; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantivally; Form: Ablative plural neuter, first- and second-declension adjective, positive degree; Function: Object of the preposition cum, identifying the surrounding lands accompanying the forty-eight towns; Translation: “surrounding lands”; Notes: The substantivized neuter plural denotes the land situated around the towns. The preceding verses distinguish these surrounding lands from the inhabited settlements and identify their use for livestock and working animals.
  8. suis — Lemma: suus, sua, suum; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive adjective; Form: Ablative plural neuter, first- and second-declension adjective; Function: Modifies suburbanis, identifying the surrounding lands as associated with the towns being allocated; Translation: “their own”; Notes: The possessive form refers to the lands belonging to or accompanying the forty-eight towns. Its agreement with suburbanis establishes the grammatical relationship between the settlements and their associated surrounding property.

 

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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