Numeri 4:4 (Numbers 4:4)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:4 Hic est cultus filiorum Caath: Tabernaculum fœderis, et Sanctum sanctorum

This is the service of the sons of Caath: the Tabernacle of the covenant, and the Holy of holies

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hic this NOM.SG.M.DEM
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 cultus service NOM.SG.M
4 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
5 Caath Kohath NOUN.GEN.SG.M.INDECL
6 Tabernaculum tabernacle NOM.SG.N
7 fœderis of covenant GEN.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 Sanctum holy ACC.SG.N
10 sanctorum of holies GEN.PL.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Hic est cultus — identification of service.

Genitive Phrase: filiorum Caath — specifies group.

Appositional List: Tabernaculum fœderis et Sanctum sanctorum — items of service.

Morphology

  1. Hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: this; Notes: Refers to present instruction.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  3. cultus — Lemma: cultus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: service; Notes: Refers to duties.
  4. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies cultus; Translation: of sons; Notes: Specifies group.
  5. Caath — Lemma: Caath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: Caath; Notes: Clan designation.
  6. Tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: apposition; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: Sacred structure.
  7. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies Tabernaculum; Translation: of covenant; Notes: Specifies type.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links items; Translation: and; Notes: Adds second element.
  9. Sanctum — Lemma: sanctum; Part of Speech: adjective used as noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: apposition; Translation: holy; Notes: Part of fixed phrase.
  10. sanctorum — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies Sanctum; Translation: of holies; Notes: Superlative construction.

 

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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