Numeri 4:27 (Numbers 4:27)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:27 iubente Aaron et filiis eius, portabunt filii Gerson: et scient singuli cui debeant oneri mancipari.

at the command of Aaron and his sons, the sons of Gerson shall carry; and each one shall know to which burden he ought to be assigned.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 iubente at the command of ABL.SG.M.PTCP
2 Aaron Aaron INDECL
3 et and CONJ
4 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
5 eius his POSS.GEN.SG
6 portabunt they shall carry 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
7 filii sons NOM.PL.M
8 Gerson Gershon INDECL
9 et and CONJ
10 scient they shall know 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
11 singuli each NOM.PL.M
12 cui to which REL.DAT.SG
13 debeant they ought 3.PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
14 oneri to burden DAT.SG.N
15 mancipari to be assigned INF.PRES.PASS

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: iubente Aaron et filiis eius — expresses circumstance, “with Aaron and his sons commanding.” The participle iubente governs the phrase.

Main Clause 1: portabunt filii Gerson — filii Gerson is the subject and portabunt the verb.

Main Clause 2: et scient singuli — singuli is the subject emphasizing individuals, with scient as the verb.

Indirect Question: cui debeant oneri mancipari — introduced by cui, with subjunctive debeant. The infinitive mancipari depends on debeant, and oneri is dative.

Clause Function: The sentence establishes both authority structure and individual responsibility in assigning burdens.

Morphology

  1. iubente — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “at the command of”; Notes: Indicates authority issuing instructions.
  2. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “Aaron”; Notes: Priest leader.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds second authority.
  4. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Priestly group.
  5. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Aaron.
  6. portabunt — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall carry”; Notes: Future instruction.
  7. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Gershonite group.
  8. Gerson — Lemma: Gerson; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relation; Translation: “Gerson”; Notes: Clan designation.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues statement.
  10. scient — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall know”; Notes: Expresses awareness.
  11. singuli — Lemma: singuli; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “each”; Notes: Emphasizes individual responsibility.
  12. cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “to which”; Notes: Refers to assignment.
  13. debeant — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “they ought”; Notes: Expresses obligation.
  14. oneri — Lemma: onus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to burden”; Notes: Refers to assigned load.
  15. mancipari — Lemma: mancipor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to be assigned”; Notes: Implies formal assignment.

 

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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