Numeri 3:21 (Numbers 3:21)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:21 De Gerson fuere familiæ duæ, Lebnitica, et Semeitica:

From Gerson were two families, the Lebnitic and the Semeitic.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 Gerson Gershon NOUN.ABL.SG.M.INDECL
3 fuere were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 familiæ families NOM.PL.F
5 duæ two ADJ.NOM.PL.F
6 Lebnitica Libnites ADJ.NOM.SG.F
7 et and CONJ
8 Semeitica Shimeites ADJ.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: familiæ duæ (subject) + fuere (main verb).

Phrase: De Gerson — prepositional phrase indicating source or descent, “from Gerson.”

Apposition: Lebnitica and Semeitica — nominative appositional identifiers naming the two families individually, with familia understood for each.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the phrase of origin or descent; Translation: from; Notes: Here it marks genealogical derivation, showing that the families descend from Gerson.
  2. Gerson — Lemma: Gerson; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine indeclinable proper noun; Function: object of the preposition De; Translation: Gerson; Notes: The name remains unchanged in form and identifies the ancestral source of the clans.
  3. fuere — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: were; Notes: This is a syncopated form of fuerunt, common in elevated narrative style.
  4. familiæ — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, first declension; Function: subject of fuere; Translation: families; Notes: The word refers to clan divisions or family groups within a tribal genealogy.
  5. duæ — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies familiæ; Translation: two; Notes: It agrees with familiæ in gender, number, and case, specifying the total number of clans named.
  6. Lebnitica — Lemma: Lebniticus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: appositional family designation with familia understood; Translation: Lebnitic; Notes: The singular form identifies one specific family line descending from Gerson.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the two named family designations; Translation: and; Notes: It joins the paired clan names in a simple additive structure.
  8. Semeitica — Lemma: Semeiticus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: appositional family designation with familia understood; Translation: Semeitic; Notes: Like Lebnitica, it stands substantivally to denote one distinct clan.

 

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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