Numeri 28:27 (Numbers 28:27)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:27 Offeretisque holocaustum in odorem suavissimum Domino, vitulos de armento duos, arietem unum, et agnos anniculos immaculatos septem:

And you shall offer a burnt offering as a most pleasing odor to the LORD: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven yearling lambs without blemish;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Offeretisque and-you-shall-offer 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
2 holocaustum burnt-offering ACC.SG.N
3 in as PREP+ACC
4 odorem odor ACC.SG.M
5 suavissimum most-pleasing ACC.SG.M.SUPER
6 Domino to-the-LORD DAT.SG.M
7 vitulos bulls ACC.PL.M
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 armento herd ABL.SG.N
10 duos two ACC.PL.M
11 arietem ram ACC.SG.M
12 unum one ACC.SG.M
13 et and CONJ
14 agnos lambs ACC.PL.M
15 anniculos yearling ACC.PL.M
16 immaculatos without-blemish ACC.PL.M
17 septem seven INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Offeretisque (verb) + holocaustum (direct object) + Domino (dative recipient).

Purpose/Result Phrase: in odorem suavissimum — describes the burnt offering as producing a most pleasing aroma before the LORD.

Sacrificial Specification: vitulos de armento duos, arietem unum, and agnos anniculos immaculatos septem — accusative expressions specifying the animals required for the burnt offering.

Prepositional Phrase: de armento — identifies the source of the bulls, namely from the herd.

Morphology

  1. Offeretisque — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 2nd person plural with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and you shall offer”; Notes: Continues the instructions concerning festival sacrifices.
  2. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Direct object; Translation: “burnt offering”; Notes: Refers to a sacrifice wholly consumed by fire upon the altar.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Expresses result or purpose; Translation: “as”; Notes: Introduces the description of the offering’s effect before God.
  4. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, 3rd Declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: “odor”; Notes: Symbolizes divine acceptance of the sacrifice.
  5. suavissimum — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine superlative; Function: Modifies odorem; Translation: “most pleasing”; Notes: Expresses the highest degree of pleasantness and acceptability.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Dative of reference; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the recipient of the offering.
  7. vitulos — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Appositional specification; Translation: “bulls”; Notes: The first category of sacrificial animals prescribed.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the ablative; Function: Indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Specifies the origin of the bulls.
  9. armento — Lemma: armentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of de; Translation: “herd”; Notes: Refers to large domesticated cattle.
  10. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies vitulos; Translation: “two”; Notes: Specifies the required number of bulls.
  11. arietem — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine, 3rd Declension; Function: Appositional specification; Translation: “ram”; Notes: The second sacrificial animal prescribed.
  12. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: Numeral Adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies arietem; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies the required number of rams.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects the final category of sacrificial animals; Translation: “and”; Notes: Completes the list of prescribed offerings.
  14. agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Appositional specification; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: The final category of sacrificial animals listed.
  15. anniculos — Lemma: anniculus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “yearling”; Notes: Indicates lambs one year old.
  16. immaculatos — Lemma: immaculatus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “without blemish”; Notes: Describes their ritual suitability for sacrifice.
  17. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Specifies the required number of lambs.

 

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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