Leviticus 1:7

Posted on April 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 1:7 et subiicient in altari ignem, strue lignorum ante composita:

and they shall place fire on the altar, the arrangement of wood having been set in order beforehand;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 subiicient they shall place VERB, 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
3 in on PREP+ABL
4 altari altar NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 3RD DECL
5 ignem fire NOUN, ACC.SG.M, 3RD DECL
6 strue pile / arrangement NOUN, ABL.SG.F, 5TH DECL
7 lignorum of wood NOUN, GEN.PL.N, 2ND DECL
8 ante before / previously ADV (INDECL)
9 composita having been arranged PTCP, PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: et subiicient ignem in altari — the priests must place fire upon the altar.
Ablative Absolute: strue lignorum ante composita — describes the prior arrangement of the wood as a completed preparation step.
Adverbial Ante: ante functions temporally, “beforehand,” modifying composita.
Logical Flow: The wood is arranged first; then fire is placed on the altar.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates ritual actions; Translation: and; Notes: joins this procedure to the preceding instructions.
  2. subiicient — Lemma: subicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main ritual action; Translation: they shall place; Notes: describes priestly preparation of the altar fire.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: on; Notes: with ablative, expresses position rather than motion.
  4. altari — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the main sacrificial altar.
  5. ignem — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: fire; Notes: fire must be added after wood is arranged.
  6. strue — Lemma: strues; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative absolute element; Translation: pile / arrangement; Notes: refers to the woodpile prepared for burning.
  7. lignorum — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: dependent genitive modifying strue; Translation: of wood; Notes: identifies what the “strue” consists of.
  8. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: beforehand; Notes: not used as a preposition here, but adverbially.
  9. composita — Lemma: compono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having been arranged; Notes: agrees with strue.

 

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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