Numeri 4:31 (Numbers 4:31)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:31 Hæc sunt onera eorum: Portabunt tabulas tabernaculi et vectes eius, columnas ac bases earum,

These are their burdens: They shall carry the boards of the tabernacle and its poles, the columns and their bases,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these NOM.PL.N
2 sunt are 3.PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 onera burdens NOM.PL.N
4 eorum their GEN.PL
5 Portabunt they shall carry 3.PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 tabulas boards ACC.PL.F
7 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 vectes poles ACC.PL.M
10 eius its POSS.GEN.SG
11 columnas columns ACC.PL.F
12 ac and CONJ
13 bases bases ACC.PL.F
14 earum their GEN.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Hæc sunt onera eorum — Hæc is the subject, onera is the predicate nominative, and eorum is a possessive genitive.

Main Clause 2: Portabunt tabulas tabernaculi et vectes eius columnas ac bases earum — Portabunt is the verb, with a coordinated series of direct objects.

Object Series: tabulas tabernaculi, vectes eius, columnas, bases earum — items to be carried.

Genitive Phrases: tabernaculi modifies tabulas; eius modifies vectes; earum modifies bases.

Clause Function: The sentence introduces and specifies the physical burdens assigned to the Merarites in their service.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to listed burdens.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person plural; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  3. onera — Lemma: onus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “burdens”; Notes: Refers to assigned loads.
  4. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “their”; Notes: Refers to the Merarites.
  5. Portabunt — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall carry”; Notes: Indicates assigned duty.
  6. tabulas — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “boards”; Notes: Structural panels.
  7. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifier; Translation: “of the tabernacle”; Notes: Specifies structure.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues list.
  9. vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “poles”; Notes: Used for transport.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive; Translation: “its”; Notes: Refers to tabernacle.
  11. columnas — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “columns”; Notes: Support structures.
  12. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects final items.
  13. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “bases”; Notes: Foundations for columns.
  14. earum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possessive; Translation: “their”; Notes: Refers to columns.

 

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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