Numeri 4:13 (Numbers 4:13)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:13 Sed et altare mundabunt cinere, et involvent illud purpureo vestimento,

But also they shall cleanse the altar from ash, and they shall wrap it with a purple covering,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ
2 et also CONJ
3 altare altar ACC.SG.N
4 mundabunt they shall cleanse 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
5 cinere from ash ABL.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 involvent they shall wrap 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 illud it ACC.SG.N
9 purpureo purple ABL.SG.N
10 vestimento covering ABL.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause 1: altare mundabunt cinere — cleansing action.

Emphatic Opening: Sed et — adds further instruction.

Main Clause 2: involvent illud purpureo vestimento — wrapping the altar.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: contrastive; Translation: but; Notes: Introduces contrast.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: Adds instruction.
  3. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: altar; Notes: Sacred object.
  4. mundabunt — Lemma: mundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: they shall cleanse; Notes: Purification action.
  5. cinere — Lemma: cinis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: separation; Translation: from ash; Notes: Material removed.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Continues sequence.
  7. involvent — Lemma: involvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: they shall wrap; Notes: Covering action.
  8. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: it; Notes: Refers to altar.
  9. purpureo — Lemma: purpureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies vestimento; Translation: purple; Notes: Color descriptor.
  10. vestimento — Lemma: vestimentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: means; Translation: covering; Notes: Instrument of wrapping.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.