Numeri 18:21 (Numbers 18:21)

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 18:21 Filiis autem Levi dedi omnes decimas Israelis in possessionem pro ministerio quo serviunt mihi in tabernaculo fœderis:

But to the sons of Levi I have given all the tithes of Israel as a possession for the ministry by which they serve me in the tabernacle of the covenant;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filiis to sons DAT.PL.M
2 autem but CONJ
3 Levi Levi INDECL
4 dedi I have given 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 omnes all ACC.PL.F
6 decimas tithes ACC.PL.F
7 Israelis of Israel GEN.SG.M
8 in as PREP+ACC
9 possessionem possession ACC.SG.F
10 pro for PREP+ABL
11 ministerio ministry ABL.SG.N
12 quo by which ABL.SG.N.REL
13 serviunt they serve 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
14 mihi me DAT.SG
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 tabernaculo tabernacle ABL.SG.N
17 fœderis of covenant GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Filiis Levi (indirect object) + dedi (verb) + omnes decimas Israelis (direct object)

Prepositional Phrase: in possessionem — indicates purpose or resulting status, “as a possession”

Prepositional Phrase: pro ministerio — expresses the basis or reason for the grant

Relative Clause: quo serviunt mihi in tabernaculo fœderis
→ quo refers to ministerio
→ serviunt is the verbal action
→ mihi is the dative object of service
→ in tabernaculo fœderis indicates the sphere or place of service

Morphology

  1. Filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine, second declension; Function: indirect object of dedi; Translation: to sons; Notes: identifies the recipients of the divine grant.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction, indeclinable; Function: marks contrast or transition from Aaron’s priestly inheritance to the Levites’ allotment; Translation: but; Notes: introduces a distinct but related provision.
  3. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies Filiis; Translation: Levi; Notes: identifies the Levitical lineage.
  4. dedi — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: I have given; Notes: expresses completed divine assignment.
  5. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies decimas; Translation: all; Notes: emphasizes the totality of the tithes assigned.
  6. decimas — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of dedi; Translation: tithes; Notes: refers to tenth-portions set apart for Levitical support.
  7. Israelis — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying decimas; Translation: of Israel; Notes: identifies the people from whom the tithes come.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces resulting status; Translation: as; Notes: with accusative can express movement into a condition or role.
  9. possessionem — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: possession; Notes: indicates the tithes as the Levites’ assigned support.
  10. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces basis or exchange; Translation: for; Notes: presents the ministry as the reason for the allotment.
  11. ministerio — Lemma: ministerium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: ministry; Notes: refers to sacred service performed by the Levites.
  12. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: refers back to ministerio and functions as means or sphere; Translation: by which; Notes: connects the ministry to the act of service.
  13. serviunt — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: they serve; Notes: commonly governs the dative, here mihi.
  14. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular first person; Function: dative object of serviunt; Translation: me; Notes: identifies the LORD as the one served.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location or sphere; Translation: in; Notes: locates the Levitical service within the sacred tent.
  16. tabernaculo — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: sacred dwelling-place associated with worship and covenant service.
  17. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, third declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying tabernaculo; Translation: of covenant; Notes: specifies the tabernacle as the covenantal sanctuary.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.