Numeri 34:23 (Numbers 34:23)

Posted on June 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 34:23 Filiorum Ioseph de tribu Manasse, Hanniel filius Ephod.

Of the children of Joseph, from the tribe of Manasse, Hanniel son of Ephod.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filiorum of the children GEN.PL.M 2ND DECL
2 Ioseph of Joseph INDECL
3 de from PREP+ABL
4 tribu the tribe ABL.SG.F 4TH DECL
5 Manasse of Manasseh INDECL
6 Hanniel Hanniel NOM.SG.M INDECL
7 filius son NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL.APPOS
8 Ephod of Ephod INDECL

Syntax

Continuation of the List: Filiorum Ioseph de tribu Manasse, Hanniel filius Ephod continues the enumeration of the tribal princes appointed to participate in the division of the Land. No finite verb is expressed because the construction depends on the earlier statement giving the names of the appointed representatives.

Broader Tribal Descent: Filiorum Ioseph means “of the children of Joseph.” Filiorum is genitive plural, while the indeclinable proper name Ioseph specifies whose descendants are meant. This phrase identifies Manasse within the broader line of Joseph.

Specific Tribal Identification: de tribu Manasse means “from the tribe of Manasse.” de governs the ablative tribu, while the indeclinable name Manasse specifies the tribe in a genitival sense.

Naming Construction: Hanniel is the nominative name of the representative from the tribe of Manasse. filius stands in nominative apposition to Hanniel and introduces his genealogical identification.

Genealogical Construction: filius Ephod means “son of Ephod.” The indeclinable proper name Ephod depends on filius in a genitival sense, identifying Hanniel through his father.

Morphology

  1. Filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: Genitival expression identifying the broader descendants to whom the following tribal representative belongs; Translation: “of the children”; Notes: Together with Ioseph, the phrase identifies the descendants of Joseph before specifying the particular tribe of Manasse.
  2. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable biblical proper name; Function: Specifies Filiorum in a genitival sense; Translation: “of Joseph”; Notes: The name identifies Joseph as the ancestor of the larger tribal grouping to which Manasse belongs.
  3. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces tribu Manasse as the specific tribal source of Hanniel; Translation: “from”; Notes: The phrase narrows the broader descent from Joseph to the particular tribe of Manasse.
  4. tribu — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine, fourth declension; Function: Object of the preposition de; Translation: “the tribe”; Notes: The following proper name Manasse identifies which tribe among the descendants of Joseph is represented.
  5. Manasse — Lemma: Manasse; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable biblical proper name; Function: Dependent modifier of tribu, equivalent in sense to “of Manasse”; Translation: “of Manasse”; Notes: The name identifies the specific Josephite tribe from which Hanniel is appointed.
  6. Hanniel — Lemma: Hanniel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, indeclinable biblical proper name; Function: Names the representative from the tribe of Manasse; Translation: “Hanniel”; Notes: The following filius Ephod supplies Hanniel’s genealogical identification within the list of tribal princes.
  7. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Apposition to Hanniel; Translation: “son”; Notes: It introduces the standard genealogical construction used to identify the named representative through his father.
  8. Ephod — Lemma: Ephod; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable biblical proper name; Function: Dependent modifier of filius, equivalent in sense to “of Ephod”; Translation: “of Ephod”; Notes: The genitival relationship is conveyed syntactically, identifying Ephod as the father of Hanniel.

 

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.