Numeri 3:12 (Numbers 3:12)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:12 Ego tuli Levitas a filiis Israel pro omni primogenito, qui aperit vulvam in filiis Israel, eruntque Levitæ mei.

I have taken the Levites from the sons of Israel in place of every firstborn who opens the womb among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ego I NOM.SG
2 tuli have taken 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Levitas Levites ACC.PL.M
4 a from PREP+ABL
5 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
6 Israel Israel INDECL
7 pro in place of PREP+ABL
8 omni every ABL.SG.M
9 primogenito firstborn ABL.SG.M
10 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
11 aperit opens 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 vulvam womb ACC.SG.F
13 in among PREP+ABL
14 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
15 Israel Israel INDECL
16 eruntque and they shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
17 Levitæ Levites NOM.PL.M
18 mei mine NOM.PL.M.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Ego tuli Levitas — subject (Ego) + verb (tuli) + direct object (Levitas)

Source Phrase: a filiis Israel — ablative of separation indicating origin

Substitution Phrase: pro omni primogenito — expresses exchange or substitution

Relative Clause: qui aperit vulvam — defines the firstborn

Locative Phrase: in filiis Israel — specifies group context

Main Clause 2: Levitæ mei erunt — subject (Levitæ mei) + verb (erunt)

Enclitic Coordination: eruntque — connects the second clause to the first

Morphology

  1. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: I; Notes: emphasizes the speaker.
  2. tuli — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect active indicative 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: have taken; Notes: expresses completed action.
  3. Levitas — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: Levites; Notes: refers to the selected tribe.
  4. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: from; Notes: indicates origin.
  5. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to Israelites.
  6. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition; Translation: Israel; Notes: identifies the nation.
  7. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: expresses substitution; Translation: in place of; Notes: indicates exchange.
  8. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies primogenito; Translation: every; Notes: universal qualifier.
  9. primogenito — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: firstborn; Notes: refers to first offspring.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers to primogenito.
  11. aperit — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative 4th conjugation; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: opens; Notes: describes biological event.
  12. vulvam — Lemma: vulva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: womb; Notes: literal expression of birth.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: locative; Translation: among; Notes: indicates group.
  14. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to Israelite people.
  15. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition; Translation: Israel; Notes: identifies the group.
  16. eruntque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative with enclitic conjunction; Function: main verb; Translation: and they shall be; Notes: the enclitic -que connects clauses.
  17. Levitæ — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Levites; Notes: identifies the group.
  18. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies Levitæ; Translation: mine; Notes: indicates divine possession.

 

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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