Numeri 3:4 (Numbers 3:4)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:4 Mortui sunt enim Nadab et Abiu cum offerrent ignem alienum in conspectu Domini in deserto Sinai, absque liberis: functique sunt sacerdotio Eleazar et Ithamar coram Aaron patre suo.

For Nadab and Abiu died when they were offering strange fire in the presence of the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, without children; and Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priesthood before Aaron their father.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Mortui dead NOM.PL.M
2 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 enim for CONJ
4 Nadab Nadab NOM.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 Abiu Abihu NOM.SG.M
7 cum when CONJ
8 offerrent they were offering 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.ACT
9 ignem fire ACC.SG.M
10 alienum strange ACC.SG.M
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 conspectu presence ABL.SG.M
13 Domini LORD GEN.SG.M
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 deserto wilderness ABL.SG.N
16 Sinai Sinai INDECL
17 absque without PREP+ABL
18 liberis children ABL.PL.M
19 functique and having performed NOM.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.DEP
20 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
21 sacerdotio priesthood ABL.SG.N
22 Eleazar Eleazar NOM.SG.M
23 et and CONJ
24 Ithamar Ithamar NOM.SG.M
25 coram before PREP+ABL
26 Aaron Aaron ABL.SG.M
27 patre father ABL.SG.M
28 suo their ABL.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Mortui sunt Nadab et Abiu — subject (Nadab et Abiu) + verb (mortui sunt) forming a perfect periphrastic expression of death

Causal Particle: enim — explanatory connector

Temporal Clause: cum offerrent ignem alienum — circumstantial clause with subjunctive verb

Object Phrase: ignem alienum — direct object with adjective agreement

Locative Phrase: in conspectu Domini — prepositional phrase indicating presence before the LORD

Additional Location: in deserto Sinai — specifies geographical setting

Separation Phrase: absque liberis — expresses absence of offspring

Main Clause 2: functi sunt Eleazar et Ithamar sacerdotio — subject (Eleazar et Ithamar) + deponent verb construction

Instrumental Phrase: sacerdotio — ablative governed by fungor

Relational Phrase: coram Aaron patre suo — indicates presence before their father

Morphology

  1. Mortui — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle deponent; Function: predicate participle; Translation: died; Notes: deponent verb expressing completed action.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: are; Notes: forms perfect with participle.
  3. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: explanatory particle; Translation: for; Notes: gives reason or explanation.
  4. Nadab — Lemma: Nadab; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Nadab; Notes: one of Aaron’s sons.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links two subjects.
  6. Abiu — Lemma: Abiu; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Abiu; Notes: second individual in subject pair.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: takes subjunctive verb.
  8. offerrent — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: they were offering; Notes: expresses ongoing past action.
  9. ignem — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: fire; Notes: object of offering.
  10. alienum — Lemma: alienus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies ignem; Translation: strange; Notes: denotes unauthorized or foreign fire.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: locative preposition; Translation: in; Notes: expresses location.
  12. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 4th declension; Function: object of preposition; Translation: presence; Notes: denotes being before someone.
  13. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: locative preposition; Translation: in; Notes: introduces place.
  15. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: object of preposition; Translation: wilderness; Notes: geographic setting.
  16. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition; Translation: Sinai; Notes: specifies location.
  17. absque — Lemma: absque; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: expresses absence; Translation: without; Notes: indicates lack.
  18. liberis — Lemma: liberi; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: children; Notes: indicates no offspring.
  19. functique — Lemma: fungor; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle deponent with enclitic conjunction; Function: predicate participle; Translation: and having performed; Notes: enclitic -que joins clauses.
  20. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: are; Notes: forms perfect with participle.
  21. sacerdotio — Lemma: sacerdotium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: complement of deponent verb; Translation: priesthood; Notes: governed by fungor.
  22. Eleazar — Lemma: Eleazar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Eleazar; Notes: one of Aaron’s remaining sons.
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: joins subjects.
  24. Ithamar — Lemma: Ithamar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Ithamar; Notes: second surviving son.
  25. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: introduces relational phrase; Translation: before; Notes: indicates presence.
  26. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: Aaron; Notes: father of Eleazar and Ithamar.
  27. patre — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: apposition; Translation: father; Notes: clarifies relationship.
  28. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies patre; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive referring to subjects.

 

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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