Leviticus 8:14

Posted on April 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 8:14 Obtulit et vitulum pro peccato. cumque super caput eius posuisset Aaron, et filii eius manus suas,

And he offered the calf for sin, and when Aaron and his sons had placed their hands upon its head,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Obtulit offered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 vitulum calf ACC.SG.M
4 pro for PREP+ABL
5 peccato sin ABL.SG.N
6 cumque and when CONJ
7 super upon PREP+ACC
8 caput head ACC.SG.N
9 eius its GEN.SG.N.POSS
10 posuisset had placed 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
11 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 filii sons NOM.PL.M
14 eius his GEN.SG.M.POSS
15 manus hands ACC.PL.F
16 suas their own ACC.PL.F.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: Obtulit — finite verb with implied subject Moses
Direct Object: vitulum — sacrificial animal
Purpose Phrase: pro peccato — indicates sin offering
Temporal Clause: cumque super caput eius posuisset Aaron et filii eius manus suas — preparatory ritual action
Compound Subject: Aaron et filii eius — joint participants in the laying on of hands
Direct Object of Action: manus suas — gesture of identification and transfer

Morphology

  1. Obtulit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: offered; Notes: Subject is contextually Moses performing the rite.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links this action to the preceding sequence; Translation: and; Notes: Maintains narrative continuity.
  3. vitulum — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular second declension; Function: direct object of Obtulit; Translation: calf; Notes: Animal designated for the sin offering.
  4. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: for; Notes: Introduces the sacrificial purpose.
  5. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular second declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: sin; Notes: Indicates expiatory intent.
  6. cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction with enclitic; Form: invariable + -que; Function: introduces a temporal subordinate clause; Translation: and when; Notes: Signals the next ritual step.
  7. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: expresses position above; Translation: upon; Notes: Indicates physical contact from above.
  8. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular third declension; Function: object of super; Translation: head; Notes: Head of the sacrificial animal.
  9. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: modifies caput; Translation: its; Notes: Refers to the calf.
  10. posuisset — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the cum clause; Translation: had placed; Notes: Pluperfect subjunctive marks completed action prior to what follows.
  11. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of posuisset; Translation: Aaron; Notes: High priest participating in the rite.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates compound subject; Translation: and; Notes: Joins Aaron with his sons.
  13. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine plural second declension; Function: subject coordinated with Aaron; Translation: sons; Notes: Aaron’s sons acting together with him.
  14. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies filii; Translation: his; Notes: Identifies the sons as belonging to Aaron.
  15. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural fourth declension; Function: direct object of posuisset; Translation: hands; Notes: Ritual gesture of identification.
  16. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: modifies manus; Translation: their own; Notes: Reflexive possession referring to Aaron and his sons.

 

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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