Numeri 4:34 (Numbers 4:34)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:34 Recensuerunt igitur Moyses et Aaron et principes synagogæ filios Caath per cognationes et domos patrum suorum

Therefore Moyses and Aaron and the leaders of the assembly numbered the sons of Caath by their clans and the houses of their fathers

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Recensuerunt they numbered 3.PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 igitur therefore ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 principes leaders NOM.PL.M
8 synagogæ of the assembly GEN.SG.F
9 filios sons ACC.PL.M
10 Caath Kohath INDECL
11 per through PREP+ACC
12 cognationes clans ACC.PL.F
13 et and CONJ
14 domos houses ACC.PL.F
15 patrum of fathers GEN.PL.M
16 suorum their own GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Recensuerunt Moyses et Aaron et principes synagogæ — compound subject (Moyses, Aaron, principes synagogæ) with verb Recensuerunt.

Adverbial Modifier: igitur — indicates logical progression, “therefore.”

Direct Object: filios Caath — object of the verb, with Caath specifying the group.

Prepositional Phrase: per cognationes et domos patrum suorum — expresses distribution according to clans and paternal households.

Genitive Phrase: patrum suorum modifies domos, indicating lineage.

Clause Function: The sentence reports the execution of the census command by leadership, structured according to family divisions.

Morphology

  1. Recensuerunt — Lemma: recenseo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they numbered”; Notes: Indicates completed census action.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifier; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks logical continuation.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: Leader of Israel.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects subjects.
  5. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Aaron”; Notes: High priest.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues list.
  7. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “leaders”; Notes: Authorities of assembly.
  8. synagogæ — Lemma: synagoga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifier; Translation: “of the assembly”; Notes: Community context.
  9. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Clan members.
  10. Caath — Lemma: Caath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive relation; Translation: “Caath”; Notes: Kohathite group.
  11. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses distribution; Translation: “through”; Notes: Categorization.
  12. cognationes — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: “clans”; Notes: Kinship groups.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues structure.
  14. domos — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: “houses”; Notes: Household units.
  15. patrum — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifier; Translation: “of fathers”; Notes: Lineage indicator.
  16. suorum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies patrum; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Emphasizes belonging.

 

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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