Nm 1:15 de Nephthali, Ahira filius Enan.
From Nephthali, Ahira the son of Enan.
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
de |
from |
PREP+ABL |
| 2 |
Nephthali |
Naphtali |
INDECL |
| 3 |
Ahira |
Ahira |
INDECL |
| 4 |
filius |
son |
NOM.SG.M |
| 5 |
Enan |
Enan |
INDECL |
Syntax
Tribal Attribution: de Nephthali — prepositional phrase indicating the tribe from which the chief comes.
Name Phrase: Ahira filius Enan — nominative identification naming the tribal leader together with his paternal lineage.
Morphology
- de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the tribal affiliation; Translation: from; Notes: In census lists this preposition marks the tribe represented by the named chief.
- Nephthali — Lemma: Nephthali; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of the preposition de; Translation: Nephthali; Notes: Identifies the tribe descended from the patriarch Naphtali.
- Ahira — Lemma: Ahira; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject of the implied identification within the census list; Translation: Ahira; Notes: The chief representing the tribe of Nephthali.
- filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition identifying lineage; Translation: son; Notes: Introduces the patronymic designation naming the father.
- Enan — Lemma: Enan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent name identifying the father; Translation: Enan; Notes: Specifies the paternal ancestry of Ahira.
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.