Leviticus 3:11

Posted on April 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 3:11 et adolebit ea sacerdos super altare in pabulum ignis et oblationis Domini.

and the priest shall burn them upon the altar as food for the fire and for the offering of the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 adolebit he shall burn VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 ea them PRON, ACC.PL.N, DEM
4 sacerdos the priest NOUN, NOM.SG.M, 3RD DECL
5 super upon PREP+ACC
6 altare altar NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL
7 in as PREP+ACC
8 pabulum food NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 2ND DECL
9 ignis of fire NOUN, GEN.SG.M, 3RD DECL
10 et and CONJ
11 oblationis of the offering NOUN, GEN.SG.F, 3RD DECL
12 Domini of the LORD NOUN, GEN.SG.M, 2ND DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: et adolebit ea sacerdos super altare — the priest performs the burning of the sacrificial portions upon the altar.
Designation Phrase: in pabulum ignis — describes the burning as “food for the fire,” a sacrificial metaphor.
Coordinated Genitive Phrase: et oblationis Domini — identifies the act as part of the LORD’s offering.
Word Order: Subject sacerdos follows the verb for emphasis on the ritual action itself.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links with prior ritual actions; Translation: and; Notes: standard connective in sacrificial procedure.
  2. adolebit — Lemma: adoleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall burn; Notes: refers to altar combustion of sacrificial portions.
  3. ea — Lemma: is (ea, id); Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter demonstrative; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the organs previously listed.
  4. sacerdos — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the priest; Notes: agent of ritual burning.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses placement; Translation: upon; Notes: marks altar as location of burning.
  6. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to bronze altar in the courtyard.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses designation; Translation: as; Notes: indicates purpose or characterization of offering.
  8. pabulum — Lemma: pabulum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: complement of in; Translation: food; Notes: metaphor for what sustains altar fire.
  9. ignis — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive modifier; Translation: of fire; Notes: specifies for whom the “food” is intended.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates genitive phrases; Translation: and; Notes: links ignis to oblationis Domini.
  11. oblationis — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive dependent on pabulum (elliptically); Translation: of the offering; Notes: sacrificial term indicating presentation to God.
  12. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH and must be rendered “LORD.”

 

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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