Numeri 1:42 (Numbers 1:42)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:42 De filiis Nephthali per generationes et familias ac domos cognationum suarum recensiti sunt nominibus singulorum a vigesimo anno et supra, omnes qui poterant ad bella procedere,

From the sons of Nephthali according to their generations and families and the houses of their kinships they were counted by the names of each one from the twentieth year and above, all who were able to proceed to wars,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 filiis sons NOUN.ABL.PL.M
3 Nephthali Naphtali NOUN.INDECL
4 per through PREP+ACC
5 generationes generations NOUN.ACC.PL.F
6 et and CONJ
7 familias families NOUN.ACC.PL.F
8 ac and also CONJ
9 domos houses NOUN.ACC.PL.F
10 cognationum kinships NOUN.GEN.PL.F
11 suarum their PRON.POSS.GEN.PL.F
12 recensiti counted PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS
13 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
14 nominibus by the names NOUN.ABL.PL.N
15 singulorum of each ADJ.GEN.PL.M
16 a from PREP+ABL
17 vigesimo twentieth ADJ.ABL.SG.M
18 anno year NOUN.ABL.SG.M
19 et and CONJ
20 supra above ADV
21 omnes all PRON.INDEF.ACC.PL.M
22 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.M
23 poterant were able 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
24 ad to PREP+ACC
25 bella wars NOUN.ACC.PL.N
26 procedere to proceed INF.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: recensiti sunt — passive verbal expression describing the completed census enumeration.

Source Phrase: De filiis Nephthali — identifies the tribal group from which the counted individuals come.

Classification Phrase: per generationes et familias ac domos cognationum suarum — explains the organizational structure used for the census, dividing the tribe into genealogical and household units.

Manner Phrase: nominibus singulorum — indicates the method of enumeration, listing individuals by their personal names.

Temporal Phrase: a vigesimo anno et supra — defines the age range beginning at twenty years and upward.

Relative Clause: qui poterant ad bella procedere — modifies omnes, specifying those qualified for military service.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative case; Function: introduces a phrase indicating source or origin; Translation: from; Notes: Frequently used to denote descent or belonging.
  2. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of the preposition de; Translation: sons; Notes: Used in genealogical and tribal references.
  3. Nephthali — Lemma: Nephthali; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper name; Function: identifies the tribe connected to the counted individuals; Translation: Nephthali; Notes: Latin form of the Hebrew tribal name Naphtali.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: introduces the system of classification; Translation: through; Notes: Indicates division according to categories.
  5. generationes — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: generations; Notes: Refers to successive lineage groups.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links parallel nouns; Translation: and; Notes: Standard connective particle.
  7. familias — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: coordinated object governed by per; Translation: families; Notes: Represents subdivisions of the tribe.
  8. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects another element in the series; Translation: and also; Notes: Stylistic variant of et.
  9. domos — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: additional coordinated object under per; Translation: houses; Notes: Indicates extended household groups.
  10. cognationum — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies domos; Translation: of kinships; Notes: Refers to clan relationships within the tribe.
  11. suarum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies cognationum; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive possessive referring to the members of the tribe.
  12. recensiti — Lemma: recenseo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: main predicate component of the passive construction; Translation: counted; Notes: Used in census contexts to indicate official enumeration.
  13. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb forming the perfect passive; Translation: were; Notes: Combines with recensiti to express completed passive action.
  14. nominibus — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: by the names; Notes: Indicates enumeration by personal identification.
  15. singulorum — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies an implied noun such as “men”; Translation: of each; Notes: Emphasizes individual listing.
  16. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative case; Function: marks the starting point of the age range; Translation: from; Notes: Variant of ab before consonants.
  17. vigesimo — Lemma: vigesimus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies anno; Translation: twentieth; Notes: Indicates the age threshold for eligibility.
  18. anno — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of the preposition a; Translation: year; Notes: Used in expressions of age.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the following adverb; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the age phrase with its extension.
  20. supra — Lemma: supra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable adverb; Function: modifies the age expression; Translation: above; Notes: Indicates ages exceeding the stated threshold.
  21. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object summarizing the group counted; Translation: all; Notes: Refers collectively to those eligible for military service.
  22. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces the relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers back to omnes.
  23. poterant — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: were able; Notes: Expresses capability or eligibility.
  24. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces the purpose phrase; Translation: to; Notes: Often used with verbs of motion.
  25. bella — Lemma: bellum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: wars; Notes: Refers to military campaigns.
  26. procedere — Lemma: procedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with poterant; Translation: to proceed; Notes: Indicates going forth to participate in battle.

 

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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