Leviticus 4:24

Posted on April 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 4:24 Ponetque manum suam super caput eius: cumque immolaverit eum loco ubi solet mactari holocaustum coram Domino, quia pro peccato est,

And he shall place his hand upon its head; and when he has slain it in the place where the burnt offering is usually sacrificed before the LORD, because it is for sin,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ponetque and he shall place VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 manum hand NOUN, ACC.SG.F, 4TH DECL
3 suam his ADJ, ACC.SG.F, POSS
4 super upon PREP+ACC
5 caput head NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL
6 eius its PRON, GEN.SG.M/F/N, POSS
7 cumque and when CONJ + ENCLITIC -QUE
8 immolaverit he has slain VERB, 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
9 eum him / it PRON, ACC.SG.M, PERS
10 loco place NOUN, ABL.SG.M, 2ND DECL
11 ubi where ADV/REL
12 solet is accustomed VERB, 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 mactari to be slain VERB, PRES.PASS.INF
14 holocaustum burnt offering NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 2ND DECL
15 coram before PREP+ABL
16 Domino the LORD NOUN, ABL.SG.M, 2ND DECL
17 quia because CONJ
18 pro for PREP+ABL
19 peccato sin NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL
20 est it is VERB, 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Ritual Action: Ponetque manum suam super caput eius — the laying on of the hand, identifying the offerer with the victim.
Temporal Clause: cumque immolaverit eum loco ubi solet mactari holocaustum — future-perfect temporal clause describing the moment of slaughter.
Relative/Locative Construction: loco ubi solet mactari holocaustum — identifies the standard place of sacrifice.
Causal Clause: quia pro peccato est — explains purpose of the offering: atonement for sin.

Morphology

  1. Ponetque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and he shall place; Notes: introduces ritual laying-on action.
  2. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of ponet; Translation: hand; Notes: symbolic transfer gesture.
  3. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies manum; Translation: his; Notes: reflexive reference to the offerer.
  4. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks contact; Translation: upon; Notes: standard ritual posture.
  5. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: head; Notes: location of the laying-on gesture.
  6. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/feminine/neuter; Function: modifies caput; Translation: its; Notes: refers to the sacrificial goat.
  7. cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: future-perfect temporal marker.
  8. immolaverit — Lemma: immolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: he has slain; Notes: sacrificial verb.
  9. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of immolaverit; Translation: him / it; Notes: refers to the goat.
  10. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of place; Translation: place; Notes: standard sacrificial location.
  11. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: where; Notes: marks fixed sacrificial site.
  12. solet — Lemma: soleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: expresses customary action; Translation: is accustomed; Notes: habitual sacrificial practice.
  13. mactari — Lemma: macto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complements solet; Translation: to be slain; Notes: technical sacrificial term.
  14. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of passive infinitive; Translation: burnt offering; Notes: ritual category.
  15. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: spatial marker; Translation: before; Notes: presence of YHWH.
  16. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  17. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: explains sacrificial purpose.
  18. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates purpose; Translation: for; Notes: marks atoning intent.
  19. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: sin; Notes: specifies category of offering.
  20. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: it is; Notes: identifies offering’s purpose.

 

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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