Numeri 3:31 (Numbers 3:31)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:31 et custodient arcam, mensamque et candelabrum, altaria et vasa Sanctuarii, in quibus ministratur, et velum, cunctamque huiuscemodi supellectilem.

and they shall guard the ark, and the table and the lampstand, the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary, in which it is ministered, and the veil, and all equipment of this kind.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 custodient they shall guard 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
3 arcam ark ACC.SG.F
4 mensamque and table ACC.SG.F+CONJ
5 et and CONJ
6 candelabrum lampstand ACC.SG.N
7 altaria altars ACC.PL.N
8 et and CONJ
9 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N
10 Sanctuarii of sanctuary GEN.SG.N
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 quibus which REL.ABL.PL
13 ministratur it is ministered 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
14 et and CONJ
15 velum veil ACC.SG.N
16 cunctamque and all ACC.SG.F+CONJ
17 huiuscemodi of this kind INVAR
18 supellectilem equipment ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: custodient (main verb) with implied subject “they.”

Object Series: arcam, mensam, candelabrum, altaria, vasa, velum, supellectilem — coordinated direct objects.

Genitive Phrase: vasa Sanctuarii — specifies sacred vessels.

Relative Clause: in quibus ministratur — describes the vessels as those in which service is performed.

Modifier: huiuscemodi — qualifies supellectilem, “of this kind.”

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the list of duties.
  2. custodient — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall guard; Notes: Indicates assigned responsibility.
  3. arcam — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: ark; Notes: Refers to the sacred ark.
  4. mensamque — Lemma: mensa + -que; Part of Speech: noun with enclitic conjunction; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: and table; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this item to the previous one.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: adds item; Translation: and; Notes: Continues enumeration.
  6. candelabrum — Lemma: candelabrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: lampstand; Notes: Sacred lighting instrument.
  7. altaria — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: altars; Notes: Includes multiple altars used in ritual.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: adds item; Translation: and; Notes: Continues list.
  9. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: vessels; Notes: Implements used in ritual service.
  10. Sanctuarii — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: of sanctuary; Notes: Specifies sacred context.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing ablative; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates location or instrument.
  12. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of in; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to vasa.
  13. ministratur — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: it is ministered; Notes: Impersonal passive indicating ritual service.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: adds item; Translation: and; Notes: Continues sequence.
  15. velum — Lemma: velum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: veil; Notes: Sacred curtain dividing space.
  16. cunctamque — Lemma: cunctus + -que; Part of Speech: adjective with enclitic conjunction; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies supellectilem; Translation: and all; Notes: Emphasizes totality, linked with -que.
  17. huiuscemodi — Lemma: huiuscemodi; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies supellectilem; Translation: of this kind; Notes: Specifies type or category.
  18. supellectilem — Lemma: supellex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: equipment; Notes: General term for furnishings or implements.

 

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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