Numeri 28:21 (Numbers 28:21)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:21 et decimam decimæ per agnos singulos, id est, per septem agnos.

and a tenth of a tenth for each individual lamb, that is, for the seven lambs.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 decimam tenth ACC.SG.F
3 decimæ of-a-tenth GEN.SG.F
4 per for PREP+ACC
5 agnos lambs ACC.PL.M
6 singulos individual ACC.PL.M
7 id that NOM.SG.N.DEM
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 per for PREP+ACC
10 septem seven INDECL
11 agnos lambs ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Measure Expression: decimam decimæ — an accusative expression denoting a tenth of a tenth as the prescribed quantity.

Distributive Phrase: per agnos singulos — indicates that this quantity is assigned to each individual lamb.

Explanatory Clause: id est — introduces a clarification of the preceding statement.

Clarification: per septem agnos — specifies that the prescription applies to the total group of seven lambs previously mentioned.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects this measure to the preceding sacrificial requirements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of grain-offering regulations.
  2. decimam — Lemma: decimus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Measure expression; Translation: “a tenth”; Notes: Refers to a tenth portion used in sacrificial measurements.
  3. decimæ — Lemma: decimus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of a tenth”; Notes: Creates the expression “a tenth of a tenth.”
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Expresses distribution; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates allocation to each sacrificial animal.
  5. agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of per; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial lambs.
  6. singulos — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “individual”; Notes: Emphasizes one-by-one distribution.
  7. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of the explanatory clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces a clarification or restatement.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Forms the standard explanatory phrase id est.
  9. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Expresses distribution; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the explanatory restatement.
  10. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Specifies the total number of lambs in the offering.
  11. agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of per; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: Refers to the seven lambs prescribed for the feast offering.

 

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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