Numeri 29:4 (Numbers 29:4)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:4 unam decimam per agnum, qui simul sunt agni septem:

one tenth for each lamb, which together are seven lambs;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 unam one ACC.SG.F
2 decimam tenth ACC.SG.F
3 per for each PREP+ACC
4 agnum lamb ACC.SG.M
5 qui which NOM.PL.M.REL
6 simul together ADV
7 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 agni lambs NOM.PL.M
9 septem seven INDECL

Syntax

Elliptical Main Clause: unam decimam per agnum continues the sacrificial instructions from the preceding verse, with the verb understood from context. unam decimam is the measured quantity, while per agnum is a distributive phrase indicating allocation to each lamb.

Relative Clause: qui simul sunt agni septem modifies the sacrificial lambs. qui is the relative pronoun referring to the lambs, sunt is the verb, and agni septem is the predicate expression identifying their total number.

Adverbial Modifier: simul modifies sunt, emphasizing that the lambs are considered collectively as a group of seven.

Morphology

  1. unam — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: Numeral Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies decimam; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies the quantity assigned to each lamb.
  2. decimam — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: Numeral Substantive; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Measured quantity; Translation: “tenth”; Notes: Refers to a tenth measure of fine flour in the grain offering.
  3. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Accusative; Function: Introduces a distributive phrase; Translation: “for each”; Notes: Indicates individual allocation.
  4. agnum — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of per; Translation: “lamb”; Notes: Refers to each sacrificial lamb individually.
  5. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Subject of the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers collectively to the lambs mentioned in the sacrificial instructions.
  6. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies sunt; Translation: “together”; Notes: Emphasizes the collective total.
  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 total number of lambs included.
  8. agni — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: Restates the identity of the sacrificial animals.
  9. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable Cardinal Number; Function: Modifies agni; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Gives the total number of lambs prescribed for the 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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