Numeri 6:7 (Numbers 6:7)

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 6:7 nec super patris quidem et matris et fratris sororisque funere contaminabitur, quia consecratio Dei sui super caput eius est.

nor even over the funeral of father and mother and brother and sister shall he be defiled, because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nec nor CONJ
2 super over PREP+ACC
3 patris of father GEN.SG.M
4 quidem indeed ADV
5 et and CONJ
6 matris of mother GEN.SG.F
7 et and CONJ
8 fratris of brother GEN.SG.M
9 sororisque and of sister GEN.SG.F
10 funere funeral ABL.SG.N
11 contaminabitur he shall be defiled 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
12 quia because CONJ
13 consecratio consecration NOM.SG.F
14 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
15 sui his GEN.SG.M REFL
16 super upon PREP+ACC
17 caput head ACC.SG.N
18 eius his GEN.SG.M PERS
19 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: nec… contaminabitur — contaminabitur is the main verb with implied subject “he,” negated and strengthened by nec… quidem, expressing “not even.”

Prepositional Phrase: super… funere expresses the context of contact or involvement with death, governing the noun funere.

Genitive Chain: patris et matris et fratris sororisque specifies close family relations, modifying funere and emphasizing the severity of the restriction.

Causal Clause: quia consecratio Dei sui… est provides the reason for the prohibition.

Predicate Structure: consecratio is the subject, est the verb, and super caput eius a prepositional phrase indicating location or symbolic placement.

Morphology

  1. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: negates and connects clause; Translation: nor; Notes: Often paired with quidem to intensify negation.
  2. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces relation of contact; Translation: over; Notes: Indicates involvement with funeral rites.
  3. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies funere; Translation: of father; Notes: Specifies close relation.
  4. quidem — Lemma: quidem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifies negation; Translation: indeed; Notes: With nec gives “not even.”
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links nouns; Translation: and; Notes: Simple connector.
  6. matris — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies funere; Translation: of mother; Notes: Parallel structure.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links nouns; Translation: and; Notes: Continues list.
  8. fratris — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies funere; Translation: of brother; Notes: Family relation.
  9. sororisque — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine with enclitic conjunction; Function: modifies funere; Translation: and of sister; Notes: -que joins final element.
  10. funere — Lemma: funus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: funeral; Notes: Refers to death rites.
  11. contaminabitur — Lemma: contamino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall be defiled; Notes: Passive expresses ritual impurity.
  12. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: Gives reason.
  13. consecratio — Lemma: consecratio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: consecration; Notes: State of dedication.
  14. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies consecratio; Translation: of God; Notes: Divine reference.
  15. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine reflexive; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: his; Notes: Reflexive possession linking subject to God.
  16. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces phrase; Translation: upon; Notes: Symbolic placement.
  17. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: head; Notes: Physical and symbolic locus.
  18. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies caput; Translation: his; Notes: Possessive reference.
  19. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: is; Notes: Links subject and predicate.

 

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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