Numeri 4:49 (Numbers 4:49)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:49 Iuxta verbum Domini recensuit eos Moyses, unumquemque iuxta officium et onera sua, sicut præceperat ei Dominus.

According to the word of the LORD Moyses counted them, each one according to his duty and his burdens, just as the LORD had commanded him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iuxta according to PREP+ACC
2 verbum word ACC.SG.N
3 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
4 recensuit he counted 3.SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 eos them ACC.PL.M
6 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
7 unumquemque each one ACC.SG.M
8 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
9 officium duty ACC.SG.N
10 et and CONJ
11 onera burdens ACC.PL.N
12 sua his own ACC.PL.N
13 sicut just as CONJ
14 præceperat had commanded 3.SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
15 ei to him DAT.SG.M
16 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase: Iuxta verbum Domini — expresses conformity to divine command, modifying the main verb.

Main Clause: recensuit eos Moyses — Moyses is the subject, recensuit the verb, and eos the direct object.

Accusative Phrase: unumquemque — emphasizes individual distribution, “each one.”

Prepositional Phrase: iuxta officium et onera sua — specifies assignment according to duty and burdens.

Subordinate Clause: sicut præceperat ei Dominus — comparative clause indicating conformity with prior command.

Clause Function: The sentence summarizes the execution of the census and distribution of duties in accordance with divine instruction.

Morphology

  1. Iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity; Translation: “according to”; Notes: Indicates standard.
  2. verbum — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of Iuxta; Translation: “word”; Notes: Divine instruction.
  3. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  4. recensuit — Lemma: recenseo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he counted”; Notes: Completed action.
  5. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to Levites.
  6. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: Leader of Israel.
  7. unumquemque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: distributive object; Translation: “each one”; Notes: Emphasizes individuality.
  8. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity; Translation: “according to”; Notes: Indicates assignment basis.
  9. officium — Lemma: officium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: “duty”; Notes: Assigned role.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects objects.
  11. onera — Lemma: onus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: coordinated object; Translation: “burdens”; Notes: Responsibilities.
  12. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies onera; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Refers to individual assignment.
  13. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces clause; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Indicates comparison.
  14. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: verb of clause; Translation: “had commanded”; Notes: Prior instruction.
  15. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Moyses.
  16. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.

 

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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