Numeri 2:22 (Numbers 2:22)

Posted on April 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 2:22 In tribu filiorum Beniamin princeps fuit Abidan filius Gedeonis.

In the tribe of the sons of Benjamin the prince was Abidan the son of Gedeoni.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 In in PREP.ABL
2 tribu tribe NOUN.ABL.SG.F.4TH
3 filiorum of the sons NOUN.GEN.PL.M
4 Beniamin Benjamin PROPN.INDECL
5 princeps prince / leader NOUN.NOM.SG.M
6 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Abidan Abidan PROPN.NOM.SG.M
8 filius son NOUN.NOM.SG.M
9 Gedeonis of Gideoni PROPN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase: In tribu filiorum Beniamin — “In the tribe of the sons of Beniamin.”
The preposition In governs the ablative tribu, indicating location or affiliation.
The phrase filiorum Beniamin forms a possessive genitive construction specifying the tribe.

Main Clause: princeps fuit Abidan — “the prince was Abidan.”
The noun princeps functions as the subject, and Abidan serves as the predicate nominative.

Appositional Phrase: filius Gedeonis — “son of Gedeon.”
This phrase identifies the lineage of Abidan.

Morphology

  1. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Translation: in; Notes: expresses location or membership within a group.
  2. tribu — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, fourth declension; Translation: tribe; Notes: object of the preposition In.
  3. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Translation: of the sons; Notes: dependent genitive modifying tribu.
  4. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Translation: Beniamin; Notes: tribal ancestor’s name.
  5. princeps — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Translation: prince / leader; Notes: subject of the clause.
  6. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Translation: was; Notes: linking verb identifying the leader.
  7. Abidan — Lemma: Abidan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Translation: Abidan; Notes: predicate nominative.
  8. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Translation: son; Notes: in apposition describing Abidan.
  9. Gedeonis — Lemma: Gedeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Translation: of Gedeon; Notes: indicates paternal lineage.

 

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.