Numeri 3:17 (Numbers 3:17)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

17 et inventi sunt filii Levi per nomina sua, Gerson et Caath et Merari.

and the sons of Levi were found according to their names Gerson and Caath and Merari.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 inventi were found NOM.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
3 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
4 filii sons NOM.PL.M
5 Levi Levi INDECL
6 per according to PREP+ACC
7 nomina names ACC.PL.N
8 sua their ACC.PL.N.POSS
9 Gerson Gershon NOM.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 Caath Kohath NOM.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 Merari Merari NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: filii Levi inventi sunt — subject (filii Levi) + verb (inventi sunt) forming a perfect passive construction

Enclitic Coordination: et — connects this clause to the preceding narrative

Specification Phrase: per nomina sua — indicates classification by names

Apposition: Gerson et Caath et Merari — names specifying the sons of Levi

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links to prior clause.
  2. inventi — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle 4th conjugation; Function: part of compound verb; Translation: were found; Notes: agrees with filii.
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: are; Notes: forms perfect passive tense.
  4. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to descendants.
  5. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relation; Translation: Levi; Notes: identifies tribe.
  6. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: distributive; Translation: according to; Notes: classification marker.
  7. nomina — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: names; Notes: list basis.
  8. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies nomina; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive possession.
  9. Gerson — Lemma: Gerson; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: Gerson; Notes: one of Levi’s sons.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links names.
  11. Caath — Lemma: Caath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: Caath; Notes: one of Levi’s sons.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links names.
  13. Merari — Lemma: Merari; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: Merari; Notes: one of Levi’s sons.

 

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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