Numeri 27:10 (Numbers 27:10)

Posted on May 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 27:10 quod si et fratres non fuerint, dabitis hereditatem fratribus patris eius.

But if there are no brothers either, you shall give the inheritance to the brothers of his father.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quod but if CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 et also ADV
4 fratres brothers NOM.PL.M
5 non not ADV
6 fuerint shall have been 3PL.FUTP.ACT.IND
7 dabitis you shall give 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 hereditatem inheritance ACC.SG.F
9 fratribus to brothers DAT.PL.M
10 patris of father GEN.SG.M
11 eius his PERS.GEN.SG

Syntax

Conditional Clause: quod si et fratres non fuerint — introduces a further step in the inheritance sequence. The implied subject is the deceased man’s brothers.

Main Clause: dabitis hereditatem — dabitis is the main verb and hereditatem is the direct object.

Indirect Object Phrase: fratribus patris eius — identifies the recipients of the inheritance.

Genitive Phrase: patris eius modifies fratribus, specifying that these brothers are the brothers of the deceased man’s father.

Legal Function: This verse establishes the third level of inheritance succession: if there are no sons, no daughters, and no brothers, the inheritance passes to the deceased man’s paternal uncles.

Morphology

  1. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces an additional conditional stage; Translation: “but”; Notes: In the expression quod si, it functions as a connective transition to a new case.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces a conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Establishes another legal contingency.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Intensifying particle; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates an additional level in the inheritance sequence.
  4. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Subject of fuerint; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers to the deceased man’s brothers mentioned in the preceding inheritance rule.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable negative adverb; Function: Negates fuerint; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the existence of brothers.
  6. fuerint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Plural; Function: Verb of the conditional clause; Translation: “shall have been”; Notes: Expresses a future condition completed before inheritance is assigned.
  7. dabitis — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative 2nd Person Plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall give”; Notes: Addresses the community or legal authorities responsible for distributing inheritance.
  8. hereditatem — Lemma: hereditas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of dabitis; Translation: “inheritance”; Notes: Refers to the hereditary estate being transferred.
  9. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Indirect object of dabitis; Translation: “to brothers”; Notes: Refers to the deceased man’s paternal uncles.
  10. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive modifying fratribus; Translation: “of father”; Notes: Specifies whose brothers are meant.
  11. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the deceased man whose inheritance is being assigned.

 

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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