Numeri 1:2 (Numbers 1:2)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:2 Tollite summam universæ congregationis filiorum Israel per cognationes et domos suas, et nomina singulorum, quidquid sexus est masculini

Take the total of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel according to their clans and their houses and the names of each one whatever is of the male sex

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tollite take / lift 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 summam total / sum ACC.SG.F
3 universæ whole / entire GEN.SG.F
4 congregationis assembly / congregation GEN.SG.F
5 filiorum sons GEN.PL.M
6 Israel Israel INDECL
7 per through / according to PREP+ACC
8 cognationes clans / families ACC.PL.F
9 et and CONJ
10 domos houses ACC.PL.F
11 suas their own ACC.PL.F.POSS
12 et and CONJ
13 nomina names ACC.PL.N
14 singulorum of each GEN.PL.M
15 quidquid whatever NOM.SG.N.INDEF
16 sexus sex / gender GEN.SG.M
17 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
18 masculini male GEN.SG.M.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Tollite (imperative verb) + summam (direct object).

Genitive Specification: universæ congregationis filiorum Israel — dependent genitive phrase defining the group whose total is to be taken.

Distribution Phrase: per cognationes et domos suas — prepositional phrase indicating classification by clan and household.

Additional Object: nomina singulorum — accusative phrase specifying that individual names are to be counted.

Relative / Indefinite Clause: quidquid sexus est masculini — clause identifying those included in the census, namely all who belong to the male sex.

Morphology

  1. Tollite — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person plural; Function: main command directed to the audience; Translation: take; Notes: The verb literally means “lift” or “raise,” but in administrative contexts it means to take a count or census.
  2. summam — Lemma: summa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Tollite; Translation: the total / the sum; Notes: The term refers to a numerical total, fitting the census context.
  3. universæ — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine positive degree; Function: modifier of congregationis; Translation: of the whole; Notes: Emphasizes that the entire assembly is included.
  4. congregationis — Lemma: congregatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying summam; Translation: of the congregation; Notes: The genitive identifies the body whose total is being counted.
  5. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive dependent on congregationis; Translation: of the sons; Notes: Specifies that the congregation consists of the sons or people of Israel.
  6. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent identifier of filiorum; Translation: Israel; Notes: The indeclinable name designates the covenant people.
  7. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces the method of classification; Translation: according to; Notes: Indicates distribution through subdivisions.
  8. cognationes — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: clans; Notes: Refers to extended family groups or kinship units.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links parallel nouns; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the two classification units.
  10. domos — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: second object of per; Translation: houses; Notes: Indicates household units within the clan structure.
  11. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifier of domos; Translation: their own; Notes: Refers back to the sons of Israel collectively.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects elements within the enumeration; Translation: and; Notes: Adds another census component.
  13. nomina — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: additional object related to the census command; Translation: names; Notes: Emphasizes individual identification rather than merely counting groups.
  14. singulorum — Lemma: singuli; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive modifying nomina; Translation: of each; Notes: Highlights the individual nature of the registration.
  15. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of the clause with est; Translation: whatever; Notes: Introduces a broad category including all who meet the defined condition.
  16. sexus — Lemma: sexus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive with masculini; Translation: of sex; Notes: Defines the biological classification referenced.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: copulative verb of the clause; Translation: is; Notes: Links the subject quidquid with the predicate phrase.
  18. masculini — Lemma: masculinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine positive degree; Function: modifies sexus; Translation: male; Notes: Specifies that the census concerns those belonging to the male sex.

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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