Numeri 25:7 (Numbers 25:7)

Posted on May 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 25:7 Quod cum vidisset Phinees filius Eleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis, surrexit de medio multitudinis, et arrepto pugione,

When Phinees the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, had seen this, he rose up from the midst of the assembly, and having seized a dagger,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod this ACC.SG.N.REL
2 cum when CONJ
3 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 Phinees Phinehas NOM.SG.M
5 filius son NOM.SG.M
6 Eleazari of Eleazar GEN.SG.M
7 filii son GEN.SG.M
8 Aaron Aaron INDECL.NOUN
9 sacerdotis of the priest GEN.SG.M
10 surrexit rose up 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 de from PREP+ABL
12 medio midst ABL.SG.N
13 multitudinis of the assembly GEN.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 arrepto having seized ABL.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
16 pugione dagger ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Quod cum vidisset Phinees introduces the circumstance prompting the following action, using cum with the subjunctive verb vidisset.

Main Clause: Phinees … surrexit presents the principal narrative action, with Phinees functioning as the subject.

Genealogical Apposition: filius Eleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis provides lineage identification for Phinees through successive genitives.

Prepositional Phrase: de medio multitudinis expresses movement outward from the gathered assembly.

Ablative Absolute: arrepto pugione describes accompanying circumstance, indicating preparation for decisive action.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object referring to the previously described event; Translation: “this”; Notes: summarizes the shocking public act witnessed by Phinees.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: with the subjunctive often introduces circumstantial narrative background.
  3. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive, 2nd conjugation; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: pluperfect tense indicates completed perception prior to the main action.
  4. Phinees — Lemma: Phinees; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of surrexit; Translation: “Phinees”; Notes: priestly figure later associated with covenantal zeal.
  5. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: apposition identifying Phinees; Translation: “son”; Notes: introduces genealogical identification.
  6. Eleazari — Lemma: Eleazarus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying filius; Translation: “of Eleazar”; Notes: identifies the father of Phinees.
  7. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: appositional genitive continuing lineage; Translation: “son”; Notes: links Eleazar genealogically to Aaron.
  8. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: dependent identifier modifying filii; Translation: “Aaron”; Notes: refers to the first high priest of Israel.
  9. sacerdotis — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: appositional genitive describing Aaron; Translation: “of the priest”; Notes: specifies Aaron’s sacred office.
  10. surrexit — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “rose up”; Notes: often conveys decisive or energetic action.
  11. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces separation phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: indicates movement outward from within a group.
  12. medio — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of de; Translation: “midst”; Notes: denotes central position within the assembly.
  13. multitudinis — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying medio; Translation: “of the assembly”; Notes: refers to the gathered crowd of Israelites.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: joins sequential narrative actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: links rising with the following preparatory action.
  15. arrepto — Lemma: arripio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: ablative singular masculine perfect passive participle, 3rd conjugation; Function: participial element in ablative absolute; Translation: “having seized”; Notes: expresses rapid and forceful taking hold of a weapon.
  16. pugione — Lemma: pugio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: noun within ablative absolute construction; Translation: “dagger”; Notes: short blade commonly associated with close violent action.

 

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.