Numeri 3:42 (Numbers 3:42)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:42 Recensuit Moyses, sicut præceperat Dominus, primogenitos filiorum Israel.

Mosyes numbered, just as the LORD had commanded, the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Recensuit numbered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 sicut just as CONJ
4 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
6 primogenitos firstborn ACC.PL.M
7 filiorum of sons GEN.PL.M
8 Israel Israel NOUN.GEN.SG.M.INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Moyses (subject) + Recensuit (verb) + primogenitos (object).

Genitive Phrase: filiorum Israel — specifies “of the sons of Israel.”

Comparative Clause: sicut præceperat Dominus — expresses conformity to command.

Morphology

  1. Recensuit — Lemma: recenseo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: numbered; Notes: Completed counting action.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: Leader of Israel.
  3. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: just as; Notes: Indicates conformity.
  4. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: Prior action relative to main verb.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  6. primogenitos — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective used as noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: firstborn; Notes: Refers to eldest sons.
  7. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies primogenitos; Translation: of sons; Notes: Specifies group.
  8. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine indeclinable; Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: Israel; Notes: Nation.

 

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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