Numeri 5:7 (Numbers 5:7)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5:7 confitebuntur peccatum suum, et reddent ipsum caput, quintamque partem desuper ei, in quem peccaverint.

they shall confess their sin, and they shall repay the principal itself, and the fifth part above it, to him against whom they shall have sinned.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 confitebuntur they shall confess 3PL.FUT.DEP.IND
2 peccatum sin ACC.SG.N
3 suum their own ACC.SG.N.POSS
4 et and CONJ
5 reddent they shall repay 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 ipsum itself ACC.SG.N.DEM
7 caput principal ACC.SG.N
8 quintamque and the fifth ACC.SG.F
9 partem part ACC.SG.F
10 desuper above ADV
11 ei to him DAT.SG.M
12 in against PREP+ACC
13 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL
14 peccaverint they shall have sinned 3PL.FUTP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1: confitebuntur governs the direct object peccatum suum, with an implied plural subject.

Main Clause 2: reddent is coordinated with et, sharing the same subject. Its object is ipsum caput along with quintam partem.

Phrase: desuper modifies the addition of the fifth part, indicating an amount added on top.

Indirect Object: ei receives the restitution.

Relative Clause: in quem peccaverint specifies the person wronged, with quem as the object of the preposition in.

Morphology

  1. confitebuntur — Lemma: confiteor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person plural future deponent indicative; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: they shall confess; Notes: deponent verb expressing acknowledgment of wrongdoing.
  2. peccatum — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of confitebuntur; Translation: sin; Notes: refers to the specific offense committed.
  3. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies peccatum; Translation: their own; Notes: reflexive, referring back to the subject.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links two main clauses; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates confession and restitution.
  5. reddent — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: they shall repay; Notes: expresses legal restitution.
  6. ipsum — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies caput; Translation: itself; Notes: emphasizes the exact amount owed.
  7. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of reddent; Translation: principal; Notes: used idiomatically for the original sum.
  8. quintamque — Lemma: quintus; Part of Speech: adjective with enclitic; Form: accusative singular feminine with enclitic -que; Function: modifies partem and links with caput; Translation: and the fifth; Notes: the enclitic connects this additional requirement to the main restitution.
  9. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: second object of reddent; Translation: part; Notes: indicates an additional fraction added to the principal.
  10. desuper — Lemma: desuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies reddent with respect to the additional amount; Translation: above; Notes: conveys the idea of an added surcharge.
  11. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of reddent; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to the injured party.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: takes the accusative; Function: introduces relational phrase; Translation: against; Notes: expresses direction of wrongdoing toward a person.
  13. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: whom; Notes: refers back to the person wronged.
  14. peccaverint — Lemma: pecco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future perfect active indicative, 1st conjugation; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: they shall have sinned; Notes: indicates completed wrongdoing relative to restitution.

 

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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