Numeri 4:24 (Numbers 4:24)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:24 Hoc est officium familiæ Gersonitarum,

This is the duty of the family of the Gersonites,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hoc this NOM.SG.N
2 est is 3.SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 officium duty NOM.SG.N
4 familiæ of the family GEN.SG.F
5 Gersonitarum of the Gershonites GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Hoc est officium — Hoc is the subject and officium is the predicate nominative, linked by est.

Genitive Phrase: familiæ Gersonitarum — double genitive construction specifying whose duty is being described, with Gersonitarum further defining familiæ.

Clause Function: The sentence is a declarative statement introducing the responsibilities assigned to a specific Levitical group.

Morphology

  1. Hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the instructions or duties that follow.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  3. officium — Lemma: officium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “duty”; Notes: Refers to assigned service or responsibility.
  4. familiæ — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the family”; Notes: Indicates the group to which the duty belongs.
  5. Gersonitarum — Lemma: Gersonita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the Gersonites”; Notes: Specifies the clan within the Levites.

 

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.