Numeri 1:47 (Numbers 1:47)

Posted on April 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 1:47 Levitæ autem in tribu familiarum suarum non sunt numerati cum eis.

But the Levites in the tribe of their families were not counted with them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Levitæ Levites NOUN.NOM.PL.M
2 autem however CONJ
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 tribu tribe NOUN.ABL.SG.F
5 familiarum of families NOUN.GEN.PL.F
6 suarum their PRON.POSS.GEN.PL.F
7 non not ADV
8 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
9 numerati counted PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS
10 cum with PREP+ABL
11 eis them PRON.PERS.ABL.PL

Syntax

Main Clause: Levitæ (subject) + non sunt numerati (passive verb phrase).

Locative Phrase: in tribu familiarum suarum — indicates the tribal grouping in which the Levites belong.

Negative Construction: non negates the passive verb phrase sunt numerati, indicating exclusion from the census.

Association Phrase: cum eis — specifies that the Levites were not counted together with the other Israelites.

Morphology

  1. Levitæ — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: Levites; Notes: Refers to the priestly tribe set apart for cultic service rather than military duty.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces contrast with the previous census statement; Translation: however; Notes: Common Latin connective marking a shift or contrast in narrative.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative case; Function: introduces the locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates location or belonging within a tribal structure.
  4. tribu — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: tribe; Notes: Refers to the tribal organization of Israel.
  5. familiarum — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying tribu; Translation: of families; Notes: Specifies clan divisions within the tribe.
  6. suarum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies familiarum; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive possessive referring to the Levites themselves.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negative particle; Function: negates the verb phrase; Translation: not; Notes: Standard negation marker in Latin.
  8. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb forming the perfect passive construction; Translation: were; Notes: Combines with numerati to produce a passive perfect meaning.
  9. numerati — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle with sunt; Translation: counted; Notes: Refers specifically to census enumeration.
  10. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative case; Function: introduces association phrase; Translation: with; Notes: Indicates accompaniment or inclusion.
  11. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of the preposition cum; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to the other Israelites counted in 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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