Numeri 1:49 (Numbers 1:49)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:49 Tribum Levi noli numerare, neque pones summam eorum cum filiis Israel:

Do not number the tribe of Levi, and you shall not place their total among the sons of Israel;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tribum tribe ACC.SG.F
2 Levi Levi INDECL
3 noli do not 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
4 numerare to count PRES.ACT.INF
5 neque and not CONJ
6 pones you will place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 summam sum total ACC.SG.F
8 eorum of them GEN.PL.M
9 cum with PREP+ABL
10 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
11 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

First Clause (Prohibition): noli numerare (negative imperative construction) + Tribum Levi (direct object).

Second Clause: pones (main verb) + summam eorum (direct object phrase).

Prepositional Phrase: cum filiis Israel — ablative phrase expressing association or inclusion.

Clause Relationship: neque links the two prohibitive statements, extending the command not to include the tribe of Levi in the census among the sons of Israel.

Morphology

  1. Tribum — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine fourth declension; Function: direct object of numerare; Translation: tribe; Notes: refers to one of the twelve tribal divisions of Israel.
  2. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition specifying which tribe; Translation: Levi; Notes: the priestly tribe set apart for sacred service.
  3. noli — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person singular; Function: forms a prohibitive command with the infinitive numerare; Translation: do not; Notes: classical Latin construction expressing prohibition.
  4. numerare — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive first conjugation; Function: complementary infinitive with noli; Translation: to number; Notes: used here in the context of a census or enumeration.
  5. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinating conjunction linking two prohibitions; Translation: and not; Notes: extends the command to a second related instruction.
  6. pones — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular third conjugation; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: you shall place; Notes: expresses a directive command framed as future indicative.
  7. summam — Lemma: summa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: direct object of pones; Translation: total; Notes: refers to the numerical census count.
  8. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive modifier of summam; Translation: of them; Notes: refers back to the Levites.
  9. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative case; Function: introduces an associative phrase; Translation: with; Notes: indicates inclusion among a group.
  10. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine second declension; Function: object of the preposition cum; Translation: sons; Notes: refers collectively to the tribes descended from the patriarchs.
  11. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitival relationship with filiis; Translation: Israel; Notes: identifies the covenant people descended from the patriarch Israel.

 

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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