Numeri 1:25 (Numbers 1:25)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:25 quadragintaquinque millia sexcenti quinquaginta.

forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quadragintaquinque forty-five NUM.INDECL
2 millia thousand NOM.PL.N
3 sexcenti six hundred NOM.PL.M
4 quinquaginta fifty NUM.INDECL

Syntax

Primary Numerical Expression: quadragintaquinque millia forms the main quantity, meaning “forty-five thousand,” where the compound numeral quadragintaquinque modifies the plural noun millia.

Additional Enumeration: sexcenti quinquaginta adds the remainder of the total, meaning “six hundred fifty,” completing the census count.

Elliptical Reference: The phrase functions as a census total referring to the counted men mentioned in the preceding clause, with the noun for persons understood from context.

Morphology

  1. quadragintaquinque — Lemma: quadragintaquinque; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable compound cardinal numeral; Function: modifies millia as part of the principal numerical expression; Translation: forty-five; Notes: A compound numeral formed from quadraginta and quinque expressing the number forty-five.
  2. millia — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: numeral noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: head noun of the primary numeral phrase; Translation: thousand; Notes: In plural usage it functions substantively to denote thousands.
  3. sexcenti — Lemma: sexcenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine cardinal numeral; Function: introduces the remaining part of the count; Translation: six hundred; Notes: Agrees with an implied masculine plural noun referring to counted men.
  4. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: completes the secondary numerical phrase with sexcenti; Translation: fifty; Notes: Combined with sexcenti to produce the number six hundred fifty.

 

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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