Numeri 19:4 (Numbers 19:4)

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 19:4 et tingens digitum in sanguine eius, asperget contra fores tabernaculi septem vicibus,

then dipping his finger in its blood, he shall sprinkle toward the entrance of the tabernacle seven times,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et then CONJ
2 tingens dipping PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
3 digitum finger ACC.SG.M
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 sanguine blood ABL.SG.M
6 eius its GEN.SG.POSS
7 asperget he shall sprinkle 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 contra toward PREP+ACC
9 fores entrance ACC.PL.F
10 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N
11 septem seven INDECL.NUM
12 vicibus times ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: asperget serves as the principal verb, with the implied priestly subject continuing from the preceding context.

Participial Phrase: tingens digitum in sanguine eius functions circumstantially, describing the manner preceding the sprinkling action.

Direct Object: digitum is the object associated with the participle tingens.

Prepositional Phrase: in sanguine eius specifies the substance into which the finger is dipped.

Directional Phrase: contra fores tabernaculi expresses the direction toward which the blood is sprinkled.

Adverbial Expression: septem vicibus indicates the number of ritual repetitions.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects this ritual action to the preceding instruction; Translation: “then”; Notes: Contextually advances the sequence of ritual procedures.
  2. tingens — Lemma: tingo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle describing attendant action; Translation: “dipping”; Notes: Expresses an action simultaneous with the following ritual act.
  3. digitum — Lemma: digitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of tingens; Translation: “finger”; Notes: Refers specifically to the priest’s finger used in the blood rite.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative case; Function: introduces the medium into which the finger is dipped; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative, it expresses location or immersion within.
  5. sanguine — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, third declension; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “blood”; Notes: The sacrificial blood functions as the purifying element in the rite.
  6. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies sanguine; Translation: “its”; Notes: Refers back to the red cow.
  7. asperget — Lemma: aspergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: principal verb of the ritual instruction; Translation: “he shall sprinkle”; Notes: The future indicative carries prescriptive force in ceremonial legislation.
  8. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces the directional target of the sprinkling; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Indicates orientation facing the sanctuary entrance.
  9. fores — Lemma: fores; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of the preposition contra; Translation: “entrance”; Notes: Though formally plural, fores often refers collectively to a doorway or entrance area.
  10. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, second declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying fores; Translation: “of the tabernacle”; Notes: Identifies the sacred structure toward which the blood is directed.
  11. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: modifies vicibus; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Seven commonly signifies ritual completeness in biblical ceremonial contexts.
  12. vicibus — Lemma: vicis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, third declension; Function: ablative of measure or repetition; Translation: “times”; Notes: Expresses the repeated performance of the sprinkling act.

 

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.