Numeri 29:10 (Numbers 29:10)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:10 decimam decimæ per agnos singulos, qui sunt simul agni septem:

a tenth of a tenth for each individual lamb, which together are seven lambs;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 decimam tenth ACC.SG.F
2 decimæ of a tenth GEN.SG.F
3 per for each PREP+ACC
4 agnos lambs ACC.PL.M
5 singulos individual ACC.PL.M
6 qui which NOM.PL.M.REL
7 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 simul together ADV
9 agni lambs NOM.PL.M
10 septem seven INDECL

Syntax

Elliptical Construction: The clause continues the sacrificial instructions from the previous verse, with the governing verb understood from context.

Measured Quantity: decimam decimæ forms a genitive construction expressing a measured amount, literally “a tenth of a tenth.”

Distributive Phrase: per agnos singulos indicates that the prescribed quantity is assigned to each lamb individually.

Relative Clause: qui sunt simul agni septem describes the lambs collectively. qui is the subject, sunt the verb, agni the predicate nominative, and septem specifies the total number. simul emphasizes their collective consideration.

Morphology

  1. decimam — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: Numeral Substantive; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Measured quantity; Translation: “tenth”; Notes: Refers to the amount of flour prescribed for each lamb.
  2. decimæ — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: Numeral Substantive; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Genitive of measure; Translation: “of a tenth”; Notes: Completes the expression of quantity, literally “a tenth of a tenth.”
  3. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Accusative; Function: Introduces distributive phrase; Translation: “for each”; Notes: Indicates individual allocation.
  4. agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of per; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial lambs receiving the grain offering.
  5. singulos — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “individual”; Notes: Emphasizes that the quantity applies to each lamb separately.
  6. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Subject of the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to the lambs.
  7. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third Person Plural Present Active Indicative; Function: Main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “are”; Notes: States the collective number of lambs.
  8. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies sunt; Translation: “together”; Notes: Emphasizes the lambs as a unified group.
  9. agni — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: Restates the identity of the sacrificial animals.
  10. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable Cardinal Number; Function: Modifies agni; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Gives the total number of lambs prescribed.

 

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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