Numeri 19:13 (Numbers 19:13)

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 19:13 Omnis qui tetigerit humanæ animæ morticinum, et aspersus hac commistione non fuerit, polluet tabernaculum Domini, et peribit ex Israel: quia aqua expiationis non est aspersus, immundus erit, et manebit spurcitia eius super eum.

Everyone who shall touch the dead body of a human being, and shall not have been sprinkled with this mixture, shall defile the tabernacle of the LORD, and he shall perish from Israel, because he has not been sprinkled with the water of purification; he shall be unclean, and his impurity shall remain upon him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnis everyone NOM.SG.M
2 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
3 tetigerit shall touch 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 humanæ human GEN.SG.F.ADJ
5 animæ of a being GEN.SG.F
6 morticinum dead body ACC.SG.N
7 et and CONJ
8 aspersus having been sprinkled PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
9 hac with this ABL.SG.F.DEM
10 commistione mixture ABL.SG.F
11 non not ADV
12 fuerit shall have been 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
13 polluet shall defile 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N
15 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 peribit he shall perish 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 ex from PREP+ABL
19 Israel Israel ABL.INDECL
20 quia because CONJ
21 aqua with the water ABL.SG.F
22 expiationis of purification GEN.SG.F
23 non not ADV
24 est has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
25 aspersus been sprinkled PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
26 immundus unclean NOM.SG.M.ADJ
27 erit he shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
28 et and CONJ
29 manebit shall remain 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
30 spurcitia impurity NOM.SG.F
31 eius his GEN.SG.POSS
32 super upon PREP+ACC
33 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS

Syntax

Substantive Relative Clause: Omnis qui tetigerit humanæ animæ morticinum functions as the subject of the legal declaration, identifying any individual who touches a human corpse.

Coordinated Conditional Description: et aspersus hac commistione non fuerit adds the condition that the individual has not undergone ritual sprinkling.

Main Clause: polluet tabernaculum Domini expresses the consequence of ritual defilement affecting the sanctuary.

Coordinated Consequence Clause: et peribit ex Israel states the covenant penalty of exclusion or destruction.

Causal Clause: quia aqua expiationis non est aspersus explains the reason for the continued impurity.

Final Coordinated Clause: immundus erit, et manebit spurcitia eius super eum declares the enduring state of impurity remaining upon the individual.

Morphology

  1. Omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective used substantivally; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: substantive subject of the legal statement; Translation: “everyone”; Notes: Refers universally to any individual under the law.
  2. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces the descriptive clause identifying the offender.
  3. tetigerit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “shall touch”; Notes: Expresses completed contact with the corpse prior to the resulting condition.
  4. humanæ — Lemma: humanus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine positive degree; Function: modifies animæ; Translation: “human”; Notes: Specifies that the corpse belongs to a human being.
  5. animæ — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, first declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying morticinum; Translation: “of a being”; Notes: Here refers to human life or personhood.
  6. morticinum — Lemma: morticinum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: direct object of tetigerit; Translation: “dead body”; Notes: Refers to a corpse as a source of ritual impurity.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the additional condition; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects corpse contact with failure of purification.
  8. aspersus — Lemma: aspergo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate participle linked with fuerit; Translation: “having been sprinkled”; Notes: Refers to ritual application of the purification water.
  9. hac — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies commistione; Translation: “with this”; Notes: Refers to the sacred purification mixture.
  10. commistione — Lemma: commistio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, third declension; Function: ablative of means or instrument; Translation: “mixture”; Notes: Refers to the mixed water prepared from the ashes.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates fuerit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Indicates failure to receive the required purification.
  12. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the passive expression; Translation: “shall have been”; Notes: Forms the future perfect passive idea together with aspersus.
  13. polluet — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: principal verb of the main clause; Translation: “shall defile”; Notes: Indicates ritual contamination of sacred space.
  14. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: direct object of polluet; Translation: “tabernacle”; Notes: Refers to the sacred dwelling place of the LORD.
  15. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying tabernaculum; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH in covenant context.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the legal consequences; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects defilement with covenant punishment.
  17. peribit — Lemma: pereo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: coordinated main verb; Translation: “he shall perish”; Notes: Expresses severe covenant judgment or exclusion.
  18. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative case; Function: introduces separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates removal from the covenant community.
  19. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable ablative; Function: object of the preposition ex; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Refers to the covenant people as a whole.
  20. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains the basis for the judgment.
  21. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, first declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with the water”; Notes: Refers to the purification water.
  22. expiationis — Lemma: expiatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying aqua; Translation: “of purification”; Notes: Indicates the cleansing function of the water.
  23. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates the passive expression; Translation: “not”; Notes: Emphasizes the absence of required ritual cleansing.
  24. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the passive construction; Translation: “has”; Notes: Used with the participle to form a completed passive expression.
  25. aspersus — Lemma: aspergo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate participle linked with est; Translation: “been sprinkled”; Notes: Indicates the required rite was never performed.
  26. immundus — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive degree; Function: predicate adjective linked with erit; Translation: “unclean”; Notes: Declares the continuing ritual state of impurity.
  27. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “he shall be”; Notes: States the enduring future condition.
  28. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the final consequence clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links uncleanness with its continuing effect.
  29. manebit — Lemma: maneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: principal verb of the final clause; Translation: “shall remain”; Notes: Expresses continuing persistence of impurity.
  30. spurcitia — Lemma: spurcitia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: subject of manebit; Translation: “impurity”; Notes: Refers to ritual defilement remaining unresolved.
  31. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies spurcitia; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to the defiled individual.
  32. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces figurative burden or condition; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates impurity resting continually on the person.
  33. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of the preposition super; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the individual remaining defiled.

 

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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