Exodus 6:16

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 6:16 Et hæc nomina filiorum Levi per cognationes suas: Gerson et Caath et Merari. Anni autem vitæ Levi fuerunt centum triginta septem.

And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their clans: Gerson and Caath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 hæc these NOM.PL.N.DEM
3 nomina names NOM.PL.N
4 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M
5 Levi of Levi GEN.SG.M (INDECL.)
6 per according to PREP+ACC
7 cognationes clans ACC.PL.F
8 suas their ACC.PL.F.POSS
9 Gerson Gershon NOM.SG.M (NAME)
10 et and CONJ
11 Caath Kohath NOM.SG.M (NAME)
12 et and CONJ
13 Merari Merari NOM.SG.M (NAME)
14 Anni years NOM.PL.M
15 autem however / now ADV
16 vitæ of the life GEN.SG.F
17 Levi of Levi GEN.SG.M (INDECL.)
18 fuerunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
19 centum one hundred NUM.INDECL.
20 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL.
21 septem seven NUM.INDECL.

Syntax

Main clause 1: Et hæc nomina filiorum Levi per cognationes suas — demonstrative subject (hæc nomina) + genitive phrase (filiorum Levi) + distributive phrase (per cognationes suas) forms a genealogical heading.
List of sons: Gerson et Caath et Merari — coordinated nominatives naming Levi’s three sons.
Main clause 2: Anni autem vitæ Levi fuerunt centum triginta septem — subject (Anni) + genitive of quality (vitæ Levi) + copula + numeral phrase.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects genealogical units; Translation: and; Notes: introduces a new enumeration.
  2. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: these; Notes: points forward to the names.
  3. nomina — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate of demonstrative; Translation: names; Notes: introduces list.
  4. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the sons; Notes: genealogical formula.
  5. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: of Levi; Notes: tribal patriarch.
  6. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: distributive sense; Translation: according to; Notes: denotes classification by clans.
  7. cognationes — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: clans; Notes: internal subdivisions of tribe.
  8. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies cognationes; Translation: their; Notes: refers back to the sons of Levi.
  9. Gerson — Lemma: Gerson; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: first son named; Translation: Gerson; Notes: prominent Levitical sub-clan.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links names; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates the list.
  11. Caath — Lemma: Caath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: second son; Translation: Caath; Notes: ancestor of priestly line.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links final name; Translation: and; Notes: parallel structure.
  13. Merari — Lemma: Merari; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: third son; Translation: Merari; Notes: third division of Levites.
  14. Anni — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of second clause; Translation: years; Notes: introduces lifespan statement.
  15. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional marker; Translation: however / now; Notes: contrasts with genealogical list.
  16. vitæ — Lemma: vita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of the life; Notes: expresses “years of the life of Levi.”
  17. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: modifies vitæ; Translation: of Levi; Notes: patriarch’s lifespan.
  18. fuerunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: were; Notes: states completed lifespan.
  19. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: part of number phrase; Translation: one hundred; Notes: used in counting years.
  20. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies numeral phrase; Translation: thirty; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  21. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: completes total; Translation: seven; Notes: final part of 137-year lifespan.

 

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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