Numeri 9:7 (Numbers 9:7)

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 9:7 dixerunt eis: Immundi sumus super anima hominis. quare fraudamur ut non valeamus oblationem offerre Domino in tempore suo inter filios Israel?

they said to them: “We are unclean by reason of the soul of a man. Why are we deprived so that we are not able to offer the offering to the LORD at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 eis to them DAT.PL.M
3 Immundi unclean NOM.PL.M
4 sumus we are 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 super because of PREP+ACC
6 anima soul ACC.SG.F
7 hominis of man GEN.SG.M
8 quare why ADV
9 fraudamur we are deprived 1PL.PRES.PASS.IND
10 ut so that CONJ
11 non not ADV
12 valeamus we may be able 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 oblationem offering ACC.SG.F
14 offerre to offer PRES.ACT.INF
15 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 tempore time ABL.SG.N
18 suo its own ABL.SG.N.POSS
19 inter among PREP+ACC
20 filios sons ACC.PL.M
21 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: dixerunt eis — introduces direct speech, with eis as indirect object.

Statement: Immundi sumus super anima hominis — copulative clause with Immundi as predicate and sumus as verb; super anima hominis expresses cause.

Interrogative Clause: quare fraudamur — question expressing grievance.

Result Clause: ut non valeamus oblationem offerre Domino — valeamus governs infinitive offerre, with oblationem as object and Domino as indirect object.

Temporal Phrase: in tempore suo — indicates appointed time.

Prepositional Phrase: inter filios Israel — situates the action within the community.

Morphology

  1. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they said; Notes: Introduces reported speech.
  2. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: Refers to Moyses and Aaron.
  3. Immundi — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: unclean; Notes: Describes ritual state.
  4. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: we are; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces cause; Translation: because of; Notes: Indicates reason for impurity.
  6. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: soul; Notes: Refers idiomatically to a dead person.
  7. hominis — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies anima; Translation: of man; Notes: Specifies human origin.
  8. quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: interrogative; Translation: why; Notes: Introduces question.
  9. fraudamur — Lemma: fraudo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present passive indicative; Function: verb of question; Translation: we are deprived; Notes: Expresses perceived exclusion.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces result clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Indicates consequence.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute negation.
  12. valeamus — Lemma: valeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of result clause; Translation: we may be able; Notes: Expresses inability.
  13. oblationem — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: offering; Notes: Refers to ritual sacrifice.
  14. offerre — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to offer; Notes: Dependent on valeamus.
  15. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces time; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates temporal setting.
  17. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: time; Notes: Appointed moment.
  18. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies tempore; Translation: its own; Notes: Reflexive reference.
  19. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces relational phrase; Translation: among; Notes: Indicates community context.
  20. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of inter; Translation: sons; Notes: Refers to Israelites.
  21. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: Israel; Notes: Specifies identity.

 

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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