Numeri 19:22 (Numbers 19:22)

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 19:22 Quidquid tetigerit immundus, immundum faciet: et anima, quæ horum quippiam tetigerit, immunda erit usque ad vesperum.

Whatever the unclean person shall touch, he shall make unclean. And the soul which shall touch any of these things shall be unclean until evening.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quidquid whatever ACC.SG.N.INDEF
2 tetigerit shall touch 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
3 immundus unclean person NOM.SG.M.ADJ
4 immundum unclean ACC.SG.N.ADJ
5 faciet he shall make 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 et and CONJ
7 anima soul NOM.SG.F
8 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL
9 horum of these things GEN.PL.N.DEM
10 quippiam anything ACC.SG.N.INDEF
11 tetigerit shall touch 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
12 immunda unclean NOM.SG.F.ADJ
13 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 usque until ADV
15 ad to PREP+ACC
16 vesperum evening ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Substantive Relative Construction: Quidquid tetigerit immundus functions as the object of the main clause and describes anything contacted by the unclean person.

Main Clause: immundum faciet declares the resulting transmission of impurity.

Coordinated Clause: et anima … immunda erit introduces a further legal consequence regarding a person who touches contaminated objects.

Relative Clause: quæ horum quippiam tetigerit modifies anima and specifies contact with any of the contaminated things.

Temporal Expression: usque ad vesperum indicates the duration of the resulting impurity.

Morphology

  1. Quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object within the substantive relative construction; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: Refers comprehensively to any object touched by the unclean person.
  2. tetigerit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the substantive relative construction; Translation: “shall touch”; Notes: Expresses completed contact prior to the resulting contamination.
  3. immundus — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantivally; Form: nominative singular masculine positive degree; Function: subject of tetigerit; Translation: “unclean person”; Notes: Refers to one already ritually contaminated.
  4. immundum — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter positive degree; Function: predicate accusative with faciet; Translation: “unclean”; Notes: Describes the resulting state imparted to the touched object.
  5. faciet — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: principal verb of the first clause; Translation: “he shall make”; Notes: Indicates transmission of ritual impurity.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the two legal statements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links impurity transmission with its further consequences.
  7. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: subject of erit; Translation: “soul”; Notes: Refers to a person as a living individual.
  8. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to anima.
  9. horum — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: dependent genitive modifying quippiam; Translation: “of these things”; Notes: Refers to the contaminated objects mentioned previously.
  10. quippiam — Lemma: quippiam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of tetigerit; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Indicates even minimal contact with contaminated items.
  11. tetigerit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “shall touch”; Notes: Expresses completed contact resulting in impurity.
  12. immunda — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine positive degree; Function: predicate adjective linked with erit; Translation: “unclean”; Notes: Describes the ritual state acquired through contact.
  13. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Declares the resulting condition of impurity.
  14. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: marks temporal extent; Translation: “until”; Notes: Indicates the duration of the impurity.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces the temporal endpoint; Translation: “to”; Notes: Used temporally with vesperum.
  16. vesperum — Lemma: vesper; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “evening”; Notes: Evening marks the conclusion of temporary ritual impurity.

 

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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