Numeri 1:16 (Numbers 1:16)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:16 Hi nobilissimi principes multitudinis per tribus et cognationes suas, et capita exercitus Israel:

These most noble chiefs of the multitude through their tribes and their clans, and the heads of the army of Israel;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hi these NOM.PL.M.DEM
2 nobilissimi most noble NOM.PL.M.SUPER
3 principes chiefs NOM.PL.M
4 multitudinis of multitude GEN.SG.F
5 per through PREP+ACC
6 tribus tribes ACC.PL.F
7 et and CONJ
8 cognationes clans ACC.PL.F
9 suas their ACC.PL.F.POSS
10 et and CONJ
11 capita heads NOM.PL.N
12 exercitus of army GEN.SG.M
13 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Main Identification: Hi nobilissimi principes — demonstrative phrase identifying the individuals previously listed.

Genitive Description: multitudinis — dependent genitive specifying that the chiefs belong to the multitude.

Distribution Phrase: per tribus et cognationes suas — prepositional phrase indicating the organizational structure through tribes and clans.

Appositional Phrase: capita exercitus Israel — apposition describing the same leaders as heads of the army of Israel.

Morphology

  1. Hi — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject identifying the previously listed leaders; Translation: these; Notes: Points back to the chiefs just enumerated.
  2. nobilissimi — Lemma: nobilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine superlative degree; Function: modifier of principes; Translation: most noble; Notes: The superlative emphasizes the high status of these leaders.
  3. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the implied copulative statement; Translation: chiefs; Notes: Refers to the principal leaders representing each tribe.
  4. multitudinis — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying principes; Translation: of the multitude; Notes: Specifies the people over whom the chiefs preside.
  5. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces distribution; Translation: through; Notes: Indicates organization according to subdivisions.
  6. tribus — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: tribes; Notes: Refers to the major divisions of Israel.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects parallel elements; Translation: and; Notes: Links the organizational units.
  8. cognationes — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: second object of per; Translation: clans; Notes: Refers to kinship subdivisions within the tribes.
  9. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifier of cognationes; Translation: their; Notes: Refers to the clans belonging to the tribes.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses or phrases; Translation: and; Notes: Introduces the final descriptive phrase.
  11. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: apposition describing principes; Translation: heads; Notes: Metaphorically denotes leadership or authority.
  12. exercitus — Lemma: exercitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying capita; Translation: of army; Notes: Indicates the military structure of the nation.
  13. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: dependent identifier of exercitus; Translation: Israel; Notes: Identifies the covenant people whose army is organized.

 

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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