Numeri 30:10 (Numbers 30:10)

Posted on May 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 30:10 Vidua et repudiata quidquid voverint, reddent.

A widow and a divorced woman shall fulfil whatever they vow.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vidua widow NOM.SG.F
2 et and CONJ
3 repudiata divorced woman NOM.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
4 quidquid whatever ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
5 voverint they shall have vowed 3PL.FUTP.ACT.IND
6 reddent they shall fulfil 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Compound Subject: Vidua et repudiata — two coordinated nouns referring to a widow and a divorced woman.

Main Clause: Vidua et repudiata (Subject) + reddent (Verb).

Object: quidquid voverint — free relative clause functioning as the direct object of reddent.

Relative Clause: quidquid voverint — specifies everything that they have vowed.

Morphology

  1. Vidua — Lemma: vidua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: First element of the compound subject; Translation: “widow”; Notes: refers to a woman whose husband has died.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects the two members of the compound subject; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins the widow and the divorced woman under the same legal rule.
  3. repudiata — Lemma: repudio; Part of Speech: Participle used substantively; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: Second element of the compound subject; Translation: “divorced woman”; Notes: literally “one who has been dismissed,” functioning here as a substantive.
  4. quidquid — Lemma: quisquis; Part of Speech: Indefinite relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of reddent; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: comprehensively includes every vow made by the women.
  5. voverint — Lemma: voveo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third-person plural future perfect active indicative, second conjugation; Function: Verb of the free relative clause; Translation: “they shall have vowed”; Notes: expresses vows completed before the obligation to fulfil them.
  6. reddent — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third-person plural future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Verb of the main clause; Translation: “they shall fulfil”; Notes: states that widows and divorced women remain fully responsible for carrying out their own vows.

 

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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