Numeri 19:7 (Numbers 19:7)

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 19:7 Et tunc demum, lotis vestibus et corpore suo, ingredietur in castra, commaculatusque erit usque ad vesperum.

And only then, after his garments and his body have been washed, he shall enter into the camp, and he shall remain unclean until evening.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 tunc then ADV
3 demum only ADV
4 lotis having been washed PERF.PASS.PTCP.ABL.PL.F
5 vestibus garments ABL.PL.F
6 et and CONJ
7 corpore body ABL.SG.N
8 suo his ABL.SG.N.POSS
9 ingredietur he shall enter 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
10 in into PREP+ACC
11 castra the camp ACC.PL.N
12 commaculatusque and defiled PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M+CONJ
13 erit he shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 usque until ADV
15 ad to PREP+ACC
16 vesperum evening ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: ingredietur in castra forms the central action of the sentence, describing the priest’s reentry into the camp.

Temporal Adverbial Expression: Et tunc demum emphasizes that the action occurs only after the required purification procedures.

Ablative Absolute: lotis vestibus et corpore suo expresses the completed preparatory action prior to entering the camp.

Compound Ablative Phrase: vestibus et corpore suo identifies the items cleansed in the ritual washing.

Coordinated Clause: commaculatusque erit usque ad vesperum states the continuing condition of ritual impurity despite the washing.

Temporal Phrase: usque ad vesperum defines the duration of the impurity.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects the sentence to the preceding ritual sequence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the ceremonial instructions in ordered progression.
  2. tunc — Lemma: tunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: marks temporal sequence; Translation: “then”; Notes: Indicates the next stage following the sacrificial actions.
  3. demum — Lemma: demum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifies the temporal limitation; Translation: “only”; Notes: Emphasizes that entry into the camp is delayed until purification is completed.
  4. lotis — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative plural feminine; Function: forms part of the ablative absolute construction; Translation: “having been washed”; Notes: Expresses completed purification before the subsequent action.
  5. vestibus — Lemma: vestis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, third declension; Function: part of the ablative absolute; Translation: “garments”; Notes: Refers to the priestly clothing requiring ritual cleansing.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the two objects cleansed; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins garments and body within the purification action.
  7. corpore — Lemma: corpus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, third declension; Function: coordinated element within the ablative absolute; Translation: “body”; Notes: Indicates personal bodily washing required by the ritual law.
  8. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter positive degree; Function: modifies corpore; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers reflexively to the priest performing the rite.
  9. ingredietur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: third person singular future deponent indicative; Function: principal verb of the sentence; Translation: “he shall enter”; Notes: Though passive in form, the deponent verb carries active meaning.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces motion toward the camp; Translation: “into”; Notes: With the accusative, it expresses movement into a place.
  11. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “the camp”; Notes: Refers to the Israelite encampment surrounding the sanctuary.
  12. commaculatusque — Lemma: commaculo; Part of Speech: participle with enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: predicate participle linked to erit; Translation: “and defiled”; Notes: Describes the continuing temporary state of ritual impurity.
  13. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing the future passive idea; Translation: “he shall be”; Notes: Forms a future state description together with commaculatus.
  14. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: marks duration; Translation: “until”; Notes: Extends the period of ritual impurity to a specified endpoint.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces the temporal endpoint; Translation: “to”; Notes: Used here temporally rather than spatially.
  16. vesperum — Lemma: vesper; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of the preposition ad; Translation: “evening”; Notes: Evening marks the conclusion of the temporary impurity period.

 

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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