Numeri 3:3 (Numbers 3:3)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:3 Hæc nomina filiorum Aaron sacerdotum qui uncti sunt, et quorum repletæ et consecratæ manus ut sacerdotio fungerentur.

These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, and whose hands were filled and consecrated so that they might perform the priesthood.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these NOM.PL.N
2 nomina names NOM.PL.N
3 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
4 Aaron of Aaron GEN.SG.M
5 sacerdotum of priests GEN.PL.M
6 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
7 uncti anointed NOM.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
8 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 quorum whose GEN.PL.M.REL
11 repletæ filled NOM.PL.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
12 et and CONJ
13 consecratæ consecrated NOM.PL.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
14 manus hands NOM.PL.F
15 ut so that CONJ
16 sacerdotio in priesthood ABL.SG.N
17 fungerentur they might perform 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.DEP

Syntax

Main Clause: Hæc nomina filiorum Aaron sacerdotum (subject and predicate expression with implied sunt)

Genitive Chain: filiorum Aaron sacerdotum — nested genitives specifying lineage and role

Relative Clause 1: qui uncti sunt — describes sacerdotum, indicating those who were anointed

Relative Clause 2: quorum repletæ et consecratæ manus — genitive relative clause describing possession

Purpose Clause: ut sacerdotio fungerentur — expresses purpose using subjunctive of a deponent verb

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: these; Notes: agrees with nomina in gender and number.
  2. nomina — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter 3rd declension; Function: predicate nominative with implied verb; Translation: names; Notes: introduces the identification of individuals.
  3. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of sons; Notes: modifies nomina.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of Aaron; Notes: specifies the patriarch.
  5. sacerdotum — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine 3rd declension; Function: appositional genitive; Translation: of priests; Notes: further identifies the sons as priests.
  6. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers back to sacerdotum.
  7. uncti — Lemma: ungo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: anointed; Notes: describes completed consecration.
  8. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: are; Notes: completes periphrastic perfect.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: links two relative clauses.
  10. quorum — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive relative; Translation: whose; Notes: introduces possession.
  11. repletæ — Lemma: repleo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: filled; Notes: agrees with manus.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: joins participles.
  13. consecratæ — Lemma: consecro; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: consecrated; Notes: also agrees with manus.
  14. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine 4th declension; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: hands; Notes: metaphor for ordination authority.
  15. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  16. sacerdotio — Lemma: sacerdotium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: object of deponent verb; Translation: in priesthood; Notes: used with fungor which governs ablative.
  17. fungerentur — Lemma: fungor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive deponent; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they might perform; Notes: expresses intended ongoing function.

 

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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