Numeri 19:17 (Numbers 19:17)

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 19:17 Tollentque de cineribus combustionis atque peccati, et mittent aquas vivas super eos in vas.

Then they shall take from the ashes of the burning and of the sin offering, and they shall place living waters over them into a vessel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tollentque and they shall take 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 de from PREP+ABL
3 cineribus ashes ABL.PL.M
4 combustionis of the burning GEN.SG.F
5 atque and CONJ
6 peccati of the sin offering GEN.SG.N
7 et and CONJ
8 mittent they shall place 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
9 aquas waters ACC.PL.F
10 vivas living ACC.PL.F.ADJ
11 super over PREP+ACC
12 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS
13 in into PREP+ACC
14 vas vessel ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Tollentque de cineribus introduces the ritual action of taking ashes for purification.

Genitive Modifiers: combustionis atque peccati specify the ashes as belonging to the sacrificial burning associated with sin purification.

Coordinated Main Clause: et mittent aquas vivas super eos in vas continues the preparation ritual by adding living water.

Direct Object: aquas vivas identifies the fresh or flowing water used in the purification mixture.

Prepositional Phrases: super eos describes the pouring of the water over the ashes, while in vas indicates the vessel receiving the mixture.

Morphology

  1. Tollentque — Lemma: tollo + -que; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: principal verb of the opening clause; Translation: “and they shall take”; Notes: The enclitic -que tightly links this action with the preceding purification instructions.
  2. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative case; Function: introduces source or origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates the ashes as the source material.
  3. cineribus — Lemma: cinis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, third declension; Function: object of the preposition de; Translation: “ashes”; Notes: Refers to the preserved sacrificial ashes used in purification rites.
  4. combustionis — Lemma: combustio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying cineribus; Translation: “of the burning”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial burning of the red cow.
  5. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins coordinated genitives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the ideas of burning and sin purification closely together.
  6. peccati — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, second declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying cineribus; Translation: “of the sin offering”; Notes: Indicates the sacrificial purpose connected with purification from sin.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the two ritual actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links taking the ashes with adding the water.
  8. mittent — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: principal verb of the coordinated clause; Translation: “they shall place”; Notes: Describes adding the water to the ashes.
  9. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of mittent; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Refers to water used for ritual purification.
  10. vivas — Lemma: vivus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine positive degree; Function: modifies aquas; Translation: “living”; Notes: Refers to fresh or flowing water suitable for sacred purification.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces direction over the ashes; Translation: “over”; Notes: Indicates the water being poured upon the ashes.
  12. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of the preposition super; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to the ashes.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces destination; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates placement within the vessel.
  14. vas — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, third declension; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “vessel”; Notes: Refers to the container holding the purification mixture.

 

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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