Numeri 1:45 (Numbers 1:45)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

45 Fueruntque omnis numerus filiorum Israel per domos et familias suas a vigesimo anno et supra, qui poterant ad bella procedere,

And the whole number of the sons of Israel was according to their houses and their families from the twentieth year and above, those who were able to proceed to wars,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fueruntque and were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 omnis whole ADJ.NOM.SG.M
3 numerus number NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 filiorum of sons NOUN.GEN.PL.M
5 Israel Israel NOUN.INDECL
6 per according to PREP+ACC
7 domos houses NOUN.ACC.PL.F
8 et and CONJ
9 familias families NOUN.ACC.PL.F
10 suas their PRON.POSS.ACC.PL.F
11 a from PREP+ABL
12 vigesimo twentieth ADJ.ABL.SG.M
13 anno year NOUN.ABL.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 supra above ADV
16 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.M
17 poterant were able 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
18 ad to PREP+ACC
19 bella wars NOUN.ACC.PL.N
20 procedere to proceed INF.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Fueruntque omnis numerus filiorum Israel — predicate clause stating the census total.

Subject: numerus modified by omnis, with the genitive phrase filiorum Israel specifying whose number is meant.

Distribution Phrase: per domos et familias suas — indicates organization according to household and clan divisions.

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

Relative Clause: qui poterant ad bella procedere — modifies the implied counted individuals, specifying those capable of military service.

Morphology

  1. Fueruntque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative with enclitic conjunction; Function: main verb introducing the statement of the census total; Translation: and were; Notes: The enclitic -que connects the clause with the preceding narrative.
  2. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies numerus; Translation: whole; Notes: Emphasizes the completeness of the total.
  3. numerus — Lemma: numerus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: grammatical subject of the clause; Translation: number; Notes: Refers to the census total.
  4. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying numerus; Translation: of sons; Notes: Indicates descent from the tribes of Israel.
  5. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable proper name; Function: complements the genitive phrase; Translation: Israel; Notes: Identifies the nation whose members are counted.
  6. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: introduces the phrase of distribution; Translation: according to; Notes: Indicates classification by social structure.
  7. domos — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: houses; Notes: Represents extended family households.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the two structural divisions; Translation: and; Notes: Connects parallel objects of per.
  9. familias — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: second object of per; Translation: families; Notes: Refers to clan subdivisions.
  10. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies familias; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexively refers to the sons of Israel.
  11. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative case; Function: introduces the age threshold; Translation: from; Notes: Marks the starting point of the age range.
  12. vigesimo — Lemma: vigesimus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies anno; Translation: twentieth; Notes: Indicates the beginning age of eligibility.
  13. 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.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the adverbial extension; Translation: and; Notes: Connects the age phrase with its upward extension.
  15. supra — Lemma: supra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies the age phrase; Translation: above; Notes: Indicates ages exceeding the threshold.
  16. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces the relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers to the counted individuals.
  17. poterant — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: were able; Notes: Indicates capability or qualification.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative case; Function: introduces purpose phrase; Translation: to; Notes: Used with verbs of motion.
  19. bella — Lemma: bellum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: wars; Notes: Refers to military campaigns.
  20. 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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