Numeri 31:44 (Numbers 31:44)

Posted on May 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 31:44 et de bobus triginta sex millibus,

and from the thirty-six thousand cattle,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 de from PREP
3 bobus cattle ABL.PL.M/F
4 triginta thirty INDECL.NUM
5 sex six INDECL.NUM
6 millibus thousand ABL.PL.N

Syntax

This is an elliptical prepositional phrase that continues the inventory of the Israelites’ half of the spoil. The coordinating conjunction et links this phrase with the preceding enumeration of the sheep.

The prepositional phrase de bobus triginta sex millibus is governed by de, which takes the ablative case. Bobus is the ablative plural object of the preposition, while triginta sex millibus specifies the quantity, literally “from thirty-six thousand cattle.” The ablative plural millibus is required because it is governed by de.

No finite verb appears in this clause. It simply introduces the next category of spoil from which the Levites’ one-fiftieth portion will be calculated in the following verse. The phrase therefore functions as an incomplete introductory expression within the larger enumeration.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Parsing: Connects this phrase with the preceding enumeration; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of listed categories.
  2. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative case; Parsing: Introduces the source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates the category from which the Levites’ portion will be taken.
  3. bobus — Lemma: bos, bovis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural, third declension; Parsing: Object of the preposition de; Translation: “cattle”; Notes: Refers to the cattle belonging to the Israelites’ half of the spoil.
  4. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: indeclinable; Parsing: Modifies millibus; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: First element of the compound numeral.
  5. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: indeclinable; Parsing: Completes the compound numeral with triginta; Translation: “six”; Notes: Forms the number thirty-six.
  6. millibus — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral used substantivally; Form: ablative plural neuter, third declension; Parsing: Governed by the preposition de; Translation: “thousand”; Notes: The ablative plural is required after de, completing the quantity “thirty-six thousand.”

 

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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