Numeri 32:39 (Numbers 32:39)

Posted on May 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 32:39 Porro filii Machir filii Manasse perrexerunt in Galaad, et vastaverunt eam interfecto Amorrhæo habitatore eius.

Moreover, the sons of Machir, the son of Manasses, went into Galaad, and laid it waste, the Amorrite who inhabited it having been slain.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Porro moreover ADV.INVAR
2 filii the sons NOM.PL.M
3 Machir of Machir INDECL
4 filii son GEN.SG.M.APPOS
5 Manasse of Manasseh GEN.SG.M
6 perrexerunt went 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 in into PREP+ACC
8 Galaad Gilead INDECL
9 et and CONJ.INVAR
10 vastaverunt they laid waste 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
11 eam it ACC.SG.F.DEM.OBJ
12 interfecto having been slain ABL.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP.ABL.ABS
13 Amorrhæo the Amorite ABL.SG.M.ABL.ABS
14 habitatore inhabitant ABL.SG.M.APPOS.ABL.ABS
15 eius of it GEN.SG.F.DEM

Syntax

Main Clause: Porro filii Machir filii Manasse perrexerunt in Galaad shifts the narrative to the descendants of Machir. filii Machir is the subject, perrexerunt is the verb, and in Galaad expresses their movement into Galaad.

Genealogical Phrase: Machir filii Manasse identifies Machir as the son of Manasses. filii is genitive singular in apposition to Machir, while Manasse specifies the father.

Coordinated Main Clause: et vastaverunt eam gives the result of their expedition. The understood subject remains filii Machir, vastaverunt is the verb, and eam is its direct object, referring back to Galaad.

Ablative Absolute: interfecto Amorrhæo habitatore eius is an ablative absolute accompanying the devastation of Galaad. interfecto agrees with Amorrhæo, while habitatore stands in apposition to Amorrhæo and identifies the Amorrite as an inhabitant of the territory.

Possessive Genitive: eius depends on habitatore and refers back to Galaad: the Amorrite was an inhabitant “of it.”

Morphology

  1. Porro — Lemma: porro; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable connective adverb; Function: Introduces a further development in the narrative; Translation: “moreover”; Notes: It moves the account from the settlement activities of Ruben to the actions of the descendants of Machir.
  2. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Head of the subject of perrexerunt and vastaverunt; Translation: “the sons”; Notes: It denotes the descendants of Machir who undertake the expedition into Galaad.
  3. Machir — Lemma: Machir; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitival specification of the preceding filii; Translation: “of Machir”; Notes: It identifies the branch of Manasses responsible for the action described.
  4. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: Apposition to Machir; Translation: “the son”; Notes: This second occurrence of filii is singular genitive and identifies Machir genealogically as the son of Manasses.
  5. Manasse — Lemma: Manasses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitival complement of filii; Translation: “of Manasses”; Notes: It completes the genealogy by identifying Manasses as the father of Machir.
  6. perrexerunt — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: First main verb of the sentence; Translation: “went”; Notes: It describes the advance of Machir’s descendants into the territory of Galaad.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Invariable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the directional phrase in Galaad; Translation: “into”; Notes: The accusative construction expresses movement into the territory rather than location within it.
  8. Galaad — Lemma: Galaad; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable, functioning as accusative; Function: Object of in; Translation: “Galaad”; Notes: It identifies the territory into which the descendants of Machir advanced.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects perrexerunt and vastaverunt; Translation: “and”; Notes: It links their movement into Galaad with their subsequent devastation of the territory.
  10. vastaverunt — Lemma: vasto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural, perfect active indicative, first conjugation; Function: Second main verb with filii Machir as its understood subject; Translation: “they laid waste”; Notes: It describes the devastation or conquest of the territory after the descendants of Machir entered it.
  11. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of vastaverunt; Translation: “it”; Notes: The feminine singular pronoun refers back to Galaad, understood here as the territory or land.
  12. interfecto — Lemma: interficio; Part of Speech: Perfect passive participle; Form: Ablative singular masculine, perfect passive participle, third conjugation; Function: Verbal element of the ablative absolute; Translation: “having been slain”; Notes: It describes the killing of the Amorrite inhabitant in connection with the conquest of Galaad.
  13. Amorrhæo — Lemma: Amorrhæus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Nominal element of the ablative absolute with interfecto; Translation: “the Amorrite”; Notes: The singular can represent the Amorrite inhabitant collectively or generically in describing the population displaced by the conquest.
  14. habitatore — Lemma: habitator; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine, third declension; Function: Apposition to Amorrhæo within the ablative absolute; Translation: “inhabitant”; Notes: It characterizes the Amorrite as one dwelling in or occupying Galaad.
  15. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive dependent on habitatore; Translation: “of it”; Notes: It refers back to Galaad and specifies the territory of which the Amorrite was an inhabitant.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.