Numeri 4:23 (Numbers 4:23)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:23 a triginta annis et supra, usque ad annos quinquaginta. Numera omnes qui ingrediuntur et ministrant in tabernaculo fœderis.

from thirty years and above, up to fifty years. Number all who enter and minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 a from PREP+ABL
2 triginta thirty INDECL
3 annis years ABL.PL.M
4 et and CONJ
5 supra above ADV
6 usque up to ADV
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 annos years ACC.PL.M
9 quinquaginta fifty INDECL
10 Numera number 2.SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
11 omnes all ACC.PL.M
12 qui who REL.NOM.PL.M
13 ingrediuntur enter 3.PL.PRES.DEP.IND
14 et and CONJ
15 ministrant minister 3.PL.PRES.ACT.IND
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
18 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase (Range): a triginta annis et supra — indicates the lower boundary of age, with a governing the ablative.

Prepositional Phrase (Limit): usque ad annos quinquaginta — expresses the upper limit, with ad governing the accusative.

Main Clause: Numera omnes — Numera is the imperative verb, and omnes is the direct object.

Relative Clause: qui ingrediuntur et ministrant — qui refers to omnes; two coordinated verbs describe their activity.

Prepositional Phrase: in tabernaculo fœderis — locative phrase specifying where the actions occur.

Clause Function: The passage defines the age range for service and commands the counting of those qualified to perform tabernacle duties.

Morphology

  1. a — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses starting point; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates beginning of age range.
  2. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Specifies lower age limit.
  3. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of a; Translation: “years”; Notes: Ablative expresses measure of time.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects age phrase.
  5. supra — Lemma: supra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies range; Translation: “above”; Notes: Extends beyond minimum.
  6. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies ad; Translation: “up to”; Notes: Indicates limit.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses endpoint; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks upper bound.
  8. annos — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “years”; Notes: Temporal measurement.
  9. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal; Function: modifies annos; Translation: “fifty”; Notes: Upper age limit.
  10. Numera — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “number”; Notes: Command to count.
  11. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “all”; Notes: Refers to qualified individuals.
  12. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to omnes.
  13. ingrediuntur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present deponent indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “enter”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects actions.
  15. ministrant — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person plural; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: “minister”; Notes: Indicates service role.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial context.
  17. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “tabernacle”; Notes: Sacred dwelling.
  18. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the covenant”; Notes: Defines sacred relationship.

 

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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