Numeri 2:9 (Numbers 2:9)

Posted on April 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 2:9 Universi qui in castris Iudæ annumerati sunt, fuerunt centum octoginta sex millia quadringenti: et per turmas suas primi egredientur.

All who were counted in the camps of Judah were one hundred eighty-six thousand four hundred, and by their companies they shall go out first.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Universi all ADJ.NOM.PL.M
2 qui who PRON.NOM.PL.REL
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 castris camps NOUN.ABL.PL.N.2ND DECL
5 Iudæ Judah NOUN.GEN.SG.M.1ST DECL
6 annumerati counted PTCP.NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS
7 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 fuerunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
9 centum one hundred ADJ.INDECL
10 octoginta eighty ADJ.INDECL
11 sex six ADJ.INDECL
12 millia thousand NOUN.ACC.PL.N.2ND DECL
13 quadringenti four hundred ADJ.NOM.PL.M
14 et and CONJ
15 per through PREP+ACC
16 turmas companies NOUN.ACC.PL.F.1ST DECL
17 suas their PRON.ACC.PL.F.POSS
18 primi first ADJ.NOM.PL.M.SUPER
19 egredientur will go out 3PL.FUT.DEP.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Universi … fuerunt — identifies the total number counted.

Relative Clause: qui in castris Iudæ annumerati sunt — describes those included in the census.
qui introduces the clause, while annumerati sunt forms a passive perfect construction meaning “were counted.”

Prepositional Phrase: in castris Iudæ — indicates the camp belonging to Judah.

Numerical Predicate: centum octoginta sex millia quadringenti — gives the census total.

Coordinated Clause: et per turmas suas primi egredientur — describes marching order.

Prepositional Phrase: per turmas suas — “by their companies,” expressing organization of movement.

Subject: primi — “first,” referring to the tribe of Judah and its associated camps.

Verb: egredientur — future deponent verb meaning “they will go out.”

Morphology

  1. Universi — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: all / the whole; Notes: Refers collectively to the entire group counted in the census.
  2. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Introduces the clause specifying those who were counted.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates placement within the camp.
  4. castris — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, second declension; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: camps; Notes: Plural form commonly used for military encampments.
  5. Iudæ — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies castris; Translation: of Judah; Notes: Indicates the tribal camp belonging to Judah.
  6. annumerati — Lemma: annumerō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: forms passive perfect with sunt; Translation: counted / numbered; Notes: Used in census contexts.
  7. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary forming passive perfect; Translation: are / have been; Notes: Combines with the participle to express completed enumeration.
  8. fuerunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: were; Notes: Introduces the numerical result of the census.
  9. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: first element of the compound number; Translation: one hundred; Notes: Does not vary for case or gender.
  10. octoginta — Lemma: octoginta; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: second element of the number; Translation: eighty; Notes: Combined with other numerals to form a larger number.
  11. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: third component of the compound number; Translation: six; Notes: Contributes to the total number before the thousands unit.
  12. millia — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: expresses the thousands unit in the numeral phrase; Translation: thousand; Notes: Plural form used substantively to express large numerical totals.
  13. quadringenti — Lemma: quadringenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: adds the hundreds portion of the total; Translation: four hundred; Notes: Masculine plural agrees with an implied noun such as “men.”
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links the census statement with the marching instruction; Translation: and; Notes: Connects enumeration with the order of movement.
  15. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing accusative; Function: introduces phrase of manner or organization; Translation: through / by; Notes: Indicates arrangement according to military units.
  16. turmas — Lemma: turma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: object of the preposition per; Translation: companies / troops; Notes: Refers to organized divisions within the camp.
  17. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies turmas; Translation: their; Notes: Refers to the tribal divisions.
  18. primi — Lemma: primus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine superlative degree; Function: subject of the future verb; Translation: first; Notes: Indicates priority in marching order.
  19. egredientur — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future indicative deponent; Function: main verb of the coordinated clause; Translation: they will go out; Notes: Deponent verb describing movement or departure.

 

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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