Numeri 1:31 (Numbers 1:31)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:31 quinquaginta septem millia quadringenti.

fifty-seven thousand four hundred were registered.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quinquaginta fifty NUM.INDECL
2 septem seven NUM.INDECL
3 millia thousand NOM.PL.N
4 quadringenti four hundred NOM.PL.M

Syntax

Numerical Predicate: The expression quinquaginta septem millia quadringenti functions as a numerical predicate describing the census total of the previously mentioned group.

Compound Numeral Structure: quinquaginta and septem combine to form the number fifty-seven. This compound numeral modifies millia, which acts as the principal counting noun.

Additional Enumeration: quadringenti adds the hundreds component to the total. The noun referring to the counted men is implied from the surrounding census context.

Morphology

  1. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: first element of the compound numeral modifying millia; Translation: fifty; Notes: One of the indeclinable tens used in Latin compound numbers.
  2. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: unit element completing the compound number with quinquaginta; Translation: seven; Notes: Combines with the tens numeral to produce fifty-seven.
  3. millia — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: numeral noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: head noun of the numerical expression; Translation: thousand; Notes: The plural form functions substantively meaning “thousands.”
  4. quadringenti — Lemma: quadringenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine cardinal numeral; Function: specifies the additional hundreds; Translation: four hundred; Notes: Agrees with an implied masculine plural noun referring to the counted men.

 

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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