Numeri 26:56 (Numbers 26:56)

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 26:56 Quidquid sorte contigerit, hoc vel plures accipiant, vel pauciores.

Whatever falls by lot, this shall be received either by the more numerous or by the fewer.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quidquid whatever NOM.SG.N.REL
2 sorte by lot ABL.SG.F
3 contigerit falls 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 hoc this ACC.SG.N.DEM
5 vel either CONJ
6 plures the more numerous NOM.PL.M.CMPR
7 accipiant may receive 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 vel or CONJ
9 pauciores the fewer NOM.PL.M.CMPR

Syntax

Relative Clause: Quidquid sorte contigerit establishes whatever portion is assigned through the casting of lots.

Subject: Quidquid functions as the subject of contigerit.

Ablative of Means: sorte expresses the means by which the allotment is determined.

Main Clause: hoc vel plures accipiant, vel pauciores states that the allotted portion is to be accepted whether it falls to a larger group or a smaller one.

Direct Object: hoc is the object received by either group.

Alternative Subjects: plures and pauciores form a paired alternative construction introduced by vel … vel.

Clause Function: The verse emphasizes that the lot, rather than tribal size alone, ultimately determines the specific inheritance received.

Morphology

  1. Quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of contigerit; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: introduces an indefinite relative clause covering any allotted portion.
  2. sorte — Lemma: sors; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by lot”; Notes: refers to the sacred method of determining inheritance.
  3. contigerit — Lemma: contingo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “falls”; Notes: denotes what will have fallen or been assigned by lot.
  4. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of accipiant; Translation: “this”; Notes: refers to the allotted inheritance determined by lot.
  5. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the first alternative; Translation: “either”; Notes: begins a paired alternative construction.
  6. plures — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine comparative; Function: subject of accipiant; Translation: “the more numerous”; Notes: refers to tribes with larger populations.
  7. accipiant — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: main verb; Translation: “may receive”; Notes: expresses the reception of the allotted inheritance.
  8. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the second alternative; Translation: “or”; Notes: completes the paired alternative construction.
  9. pauciores — Lemma: paucus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine comparative; Function: alternative subject of accipiant; Translation: “the fewer”; Notes: refers to tribes with smaller populations.

 

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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