Numeri 26:5 (Numbers 26:5)

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 26:5 Ruben primogenitus Israel. huius filius, Henoch, a quo familia Henochitarum: et Phallu, a quo familia Phalluitarum:

Ruben, the firstborn of Israel. His son was Henoch, from whom came the family of the Henochites; and Phallu, from whom came the family of the Phalluites;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ruben Reuben INDECL.NOUN
2 primogenitus firstborn NOM.SG.M
3 Israel Israel INDECL.NOUN
4 huius his GEN.SG.M.DEM
5 filius son NOM.SG.M
6 Henoch Hanoch INDECL.NOUN
7 a from PREP+ABL
8 quo whom ABL.SG.M.REL
9 familia family NOM.SG.F
10 Henochitarum of the Hanochites GEN.PL.M
11 et and CONJ
12 Phallu Pallu INDECL.NOUN
13 a from PREP+ABL
14 quo whom ABL.SG.M.REL
15 familia family NOM.SG.F
16 Phalluitarum of the Palluites GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Identification Clause: Ruben primogenitus Israel identifies Ruben as the firstborn son of Israel.

Genealogical Clause: huius filius Henoch introduces a descendant of Ruben.

Relative Construction: a quo familia Henochitarum identifies the clan descended from Henoch.

Coordinated Genealogical Entry: et Phallu introduces another descendant in the same lineage.

Relative Construction: a quo familia Phalluitarum identifies the clan descended from Phallu.

Genealogical Function: The verse establishes clan origins within the tribe of Ruben by tracing families back to ancestral figures.

Morphology

  1. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: subject of the genealogical heading; Translation: “Ruben”; Notes: eldest son of Israel and ancestor of the tribe bearing his name.
  2. primogenitus — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to Ruben; Translation: “firstborn”; Notes: denotes the eldest son with birth-order significance.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: dependent identifier modifying primogenitus; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: refers to the patriarch Jacob.
  4. huius — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies filius; Translation: “his”; Notes: refers back to Ruben.
  5. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject complement; Translation: “son”; Notes: introduces a descendant in the genealogy.
  6. Henoch — Lemma: Henoch; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: identification of filius; Translation: “Henoch”; Notes: ancestral figure from whom a clan is traced.
  7. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces descent relationship; Translation: “from”; Notes: marks origin or ancestry.
  8. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of a; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to Henoch.
  9. familia — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of implied genealogical clause; Translation: “family”; Notes: denotes a recognized clan division.
  10. Henochitarum — Lemma: Henochita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, 1st declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying familia; Translation: “of the Henochites”; Notes: clan name derived from Henoch.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: joins genealogical entries; Translation: “and”; Notes: introduces another descendant line.
  12. Phallu — Lemma: Phallu; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable singular; Function: coordinated genealogical subject; Translation: “Phallu”; Notes: another son or descendant in Ruben’s lineage.
  13. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces descent relationship; Translation: “from”; Notes: marks ancestral origin.
  14. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of a; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to Phallu.
  15. familia — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of implied genealogical clause; Translation: “family”; Notes: designates a clan group.
  16. Phalluitarum — Lemma: Phalluita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, 1st declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying familia; Translation: “of the Phalluites”; Notes: clan name derived from Phallu.

 

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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