Leviticus 7:31

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 7:31 qui adolebit adipem super altare, pectusculum autem erit Aaron, et filiorum eius.

he who shall burn the fat upon the altar, but the breast shall belong to Aaron, and to his sons.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 qui he who REL.NOM.SG.M
2 adolebit shall burn 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 adipem the fat ACC.SG.M
4 super upon PREP+ACC
5 altare the altar ACC.SG.N
6 pectusculum the breast ACC.SG.N
7 autem but CONJ
8 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 Aaron Aaron INDECL.PROPN
10 et and CONJ
11 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M
12 eius his POSS.GEN.SG

Syntax

Relative Subject: qui — refers to the officiating priest
Main Predicate: adolebit — ritual action of burning
Direct Object: adipem — portion destined for the altar
Prepositional Phrase: super altare — location of the burning
Adversative Contrast: pectusculum autem — shifts from altar portion to priestly portion
Predicate Clause: erit Aaron et filiorum eius — establishes priestly ownership

Morphology

  1. qui — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of adolebit; Translation: he who; Notes: Refers to the priest performing the rite.
  2. adolebit — Lemma: adoleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall burn; Notes: Technical sacrificial verb for burning portions on the altar.
  3. adipem — Lemma: adeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: the fat; Notes: Portion reserved exclusively for altar consumption.
  4. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: indicates position; Translation: upon; Notes: Specifies placement on the altar surface.
  5. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, third declension; Function: object of super; Translation: the altar; Notes: Central cultic structure.
  6. pectusculum — Lemma: pectusculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: subject of erit; Translation: the breast; Notes: Portion assigned to the priests.
  7. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative connector; Translation: but; Notes: Marks contrast between altar portion and priestly portion.
  8. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copular predicate; Translation: shall be; Notes: Establishes legal ownership.
  9. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitival possessor with erit; Translation: Aaron; Notes: High priest and progenitor of the priesthood.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinator; Translation: and; Notes: Joins priestly beneficiaries.
  11. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the sons; Notes: Indicates hereditary priesthood.
  12. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: his; Notes: Refers back to Aaron.

 

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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