Numeri 29:1 (Numbers 29:1)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:1 Mensis etiam septimi prima dies venerabilis et sancta erit vobis. omne opus servile non facietis in ea, quia dies clangoris est et tubarum.

“Also, the first day of the seventh month shall be venerable and holy for you. You shall not do any servile work on it, because it is a day of trumpet-blast and of trumpets.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Mensis month NOM.SG.M
2 etiam also ADV
3 septimi seventh GEN.SG.M
4 prima first NOM.SG.F
5 dies day NOM.SG.F
6 venerabilis venerable NOM.SG.F
7 et and CONJ
8 sancta holy NOM.SG.F
9 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 vobis for you 2PL.PERS.DAT
11 omne every ACC.SG.N
12 opus work ACC.SG.N
13 servile servile ACC.SG.N
14 non not ADV
15 facietis you shall do 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
16 in on PREP+ABL
17 ea it ABL.SG.F.DEM
18 quia because CONJ
19 dies day NOM.SG.F
20 clangoris of trumpet-blast GEN.SG.M
21 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
22 et and CONJ
23 tubarum of trumpets GEN.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: prima dies serves as the subject. erit is the main verb. venerabilis et sancta are predicate adjectives describing the day. Mensis septimi is a genitive construction specifying “of the seventh month.” vobis is a dative of reference.

Main Clause 2: The implied subject is “you.” facietis is the main verb. omne opus servile is the direct object. non negates the verb. in ea is an ablative prepositional phrase indicating the day on which the prohibition applies.

Subordinate Clause: quia dies clangoris est et tubarum explains the reason for the prohibition. dies is the subject, est is the copulative verb, and clangoris and tubarum are dependent genitives characterizing the day.

Morphology

  1. Mensis — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Head noun in a genitival date expression; Translation: “month”; Notes: Introduces the temporal designation.
  2. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds emphasis or continuation; Translation: “also”; Notes: Connects this observance with previous calendar instructions.
  3. septimi — Lemma: septimus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies Mensis; Translation: “seventh”; Notes: Specifies the ordinal number of the month.
  4. prima — Lemma: primus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies dies; Translation: “first”; Notes: Identifies the first day of the month.
  5. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “day”; Notes: Refers to a specific sacred calendar day.
  6. venerabilis — Lemma: venerabilis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “venerable”; Notes: Denotes reverence and sacred regard.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinated adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links two descriptions of the day.
  8. sancta — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Indicates consecration to divine purposes.
  9. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third Person Singular Future Active Indicative; Function: Main verb; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: States a future obligation or status.
  10. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun; Form: Dative Plural; Function: Dative of reference; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Identifies those to whom the command applies.
  11. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies opus; Translation: “every”; Notes: Gives comprehensive scope to the prohibition.
  12. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object; Translation: “work”; Notes: Refers to labor or occupation.
  13. servile — Lemma: servilis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies opus; Translation: “servile”; Notes: Refers to ordinary occupational labor.
  14. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negates the verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Creates a direct prohibition.
  15. facietis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second Person Plural Future Active Indicative; Function: Main verb of command; Translation: “you shall do”; Notes: Future indicative commonly expresses legal obligation.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Takes Ablative; Function: Introduces temporal phrase; Translation: “on”; Notes: Marks the occasion of observance.
  17. ea — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to the sacred day.
  18. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Provides the rationale for the command.
  19. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “day”; Notes: The day is characterized by sacred sounding.
  20. clangoris — Lemma: clangor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive of description; Translation: “of trumpet-blast”; Notes: Emphasizes the loud ceremonial signal.
  21. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links the subject with its description.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects genitive descriptions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two related descriptors.
  23. tubarum — Lemma: tuba; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Plural Feminine; Function: Genitive of description; Translation: “of trumpets”; Notes: Specifies the instruments associated with the sacred proclamation.

 

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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