Numeri 3:47 (Numbers 3:47)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:47 accipies quinque siclos per singula capita ad mensuram Sanctuarii. Siclus habet viginti obolos.

you shall take five shekels per each head according to the measure of the Sanctuary. A shekel has twenty obols.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 accipies you shall take 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 quinque five NUM.INDECL
3 siclos shekels ACC.PL.M
4 per per PREP+ACC
5 singula each ACC.PL.N
6 capita heads ACC.PL.N
7 ad according to PREP+ACC
8 mensuram measure ACC.SG.F
9 Sanctuarii of Sanctuary GEN.SG.N
10 Siclus shekel NOM.SG.M
11 habet has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 viginti twenty NUM.INDECL
13 obolos obols ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: accipies quinque siclos — directive instruction.

Distributive Phrase: per singula capita — “per each head.”

Standard Phrase: ad mensuram Sanctuarii — norm or standard of measure.

Independent Clause: Siclus habet viginti obolos — explanatory statement.

Morphology

  1. accipies — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall take; Notes: Instructional future.
  2. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies siclos; Translation: five; Notes: Quantity.
  3. siclos — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: shekels; Notes: Unit of weight.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: distributive; Translation: per; Notes: Distribution.
  5. singula — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies capita; Translation: each; Notes: Distributive emphasis.
  6. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of per; Translation: heads; Notes: Individuals counted.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: standard; Translation: according to; Notes: Norm reference.
  8. mensuram — Lemma: mensura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: measure; Notes: Standard of value.
  9. Sanctuarii — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies mensuram; Translation: of Sanctuary; Notes: Sacred standard.
  10. Siclus — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: shekel; Notes: Unit definition.
  11. habet — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: predicate; Translation: has; Notes: Descriptive statement.
  12. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies obolos; Translation: twenty; Notes: Quantity.
  13. obolos — Lemma: obolus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: obols; Notes: Subunit of shekel.

 

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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