Numeri 1:3 (Numbers 1:3)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:3 a vigesimo anno et supra, omnium virorum fortium ex Israel, et numerabitis eos per turmas suas, tu et Aaron.

from the twentieth year and above of all the strong men from Israel and you shall count them according to their companies you and Aaron.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 a from PREP+ABL
2 vigesimo twentieth ABL.SG.M
3 anno year ABL.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 supra above ADV
6 omnium of all GEN.PL.M
7 virorum men GEN.PL.M
8 fortium strong GEN.PL.M
9 ex from PREP+ABL
10 Israel Israel INDECL
11 et and CONJ
12 numerabitis you will count 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
13 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS
14 per according to PREP+ACC
15 turmas companies ACC.PL.F
16 suas their ACC.PL.F.POSS
17 tu you NOM.SG
18 et and CONJ
19 Aaron Aaron INDECL

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase (Age Qualification): a vigesimo anno et supra — ablative phrase marking the minimum age limit, indicating those beginning from the twentieth year and upward.

Genitive Phrase: omnium virorum fortium ex Israel — genitive construction specifying the category counted, namely all strong men belonging to Israel.

Main Clause: numerabitis (verb) + eos (direct object).

Distribution Phrase: per turmas suas — prepositional phrase indicating that the counting occurs according to their military divisions.

Appositional Subject Emphasis: tu et Aaron — nominative phrase emphasizing the two responsible leaders performing the census.

Morphology

  1. a — Lemma: a / ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the starting point of the age range; Translation: from; Notes: Commonly used with time or measurement expressions to indicate beginning.
  2. vigesimo — Lemma: vigesimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine positive degree; Function: modifier of anno; Translation: twentieth; Notes: Ordinal number specifying the age threshold.
  3. anno — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of the preposition a; Translation: year; Notes: Establishes the age from which the census applies.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links elements in the phrase; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the age reference with the following qualifier.
  5. supra — Lemma: supra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies the age expression; Translation: above; Notes: Indicates inclusion of those older than the specified age.
  6. omnium — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine positive degree; Function: modifier of virorum; Translation: of all; Notes: Expresses the totality of the eligible group.
  7. virorum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: part of the genitive phrase describing the counted group; Translation: men; Notes: Refers to adult males capable of military service.
  8. fortium — Lemma: fortis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine positive degree; Function: modifier of virorum; Translation: strong; Notes: Emphasizes those fit for battle or military duty.
  9. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces the origin or source; Translation: from; Notes: Marks belonging to the people of Israel.
  10. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of ex; Translation: Israel; Notes: Identifies the covenant nation whose men are counted.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the age qualification with the command to count.
  12. numerabitis — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person plural; Function: main verb of the command; Translation: you will count; Notes: The future indicative often functions as an instruction or command in formal directives.
  13. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of numerabitis; Translation: them; Notes: Refers back to the eligible men described earlier.
  14. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces distribution; Translation: according to; Notes: Indicates classification by military groups.
  15. turmas — Lemma: turma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: companies; Notes: A term for organized military divisions.
  16. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifier of turmas; Translation: their; Notes: Refers back to the men being counted.
  17. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject emphasis; Translation: you; Notes: Explicit subject used for emphasis, referring to Moyses.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the two subjects; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the two leaders responsible for the census.
  19. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: second subject in coordination with tu; Translation: Aaron; Notes: The high priest who assists Moyses in carrying out the census.

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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