Numeri 1:39 (Numbers 1:39)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:39 sexaginta duo millia septingenti.

sixty-two thousand, seven hundred.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sexaginta sixty ADJ.INDECL
2 duo two ADJ.NOM.PL.M
3 millia thousands NOUN.ACC.PL.N
4 septingenti seven hundred ADJ.NOM.PL.M

Syntax

Numerical Expression: sexaginta duo millia septingenti functions as a nominal counting phrase expressing a total quantity.

Head Term: millia serves as the central counting noun, modified by the compound numeral sexaginta duo.

Appositional Addition: septingenti provides the additional hundreds that complete the number, with an implied masculine plural noun such as “men” supplied by context.

Clause Type: The phrase stands as a numerical statement without an explicit finite verb, typical in census summaries.

Morphology

  1. sexaginta — Lemma: sexaginta; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: modifies millia as part of the compound number; Translation: sixty; Notes: This numeral remains unchanged in form and contributes the tens component of the count.
  2. duo — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine cardinal numeral; Function: part of the compound numeral modifying millia; Translation: two; Notes: Agrees with an implied masculine plural noun that is understood in the census context.
  3. millia — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter used as a substantive numeral; Function: head of the numerical phrase indicating thousands; Translation: thousands; Notes: When plural, mille behaves as a noun and typically governs a genitive of the counted entity, which is understood here.
  4. septingenti — Lemma: septingenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine cardinal numeral; Function: adds the remaining hundreds to the total; Translation: seven hundred; Notes: The masculine plural form points to an implied masculine plural counted noun in the surrounding narrative context.

 

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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