Leviticus 16:10

Posted on April 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 16:10 cuius autem in caprum emissarium, statuet eum vivum coram Domino, ut fundat preces super eo, et emittat eum in solitudinem.

but the one whose lot is for the scapegoat, he shall set him alive before the LORD, that he may pour out prayers over him, and send him away into the wilderness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 cuius whose GEN.SG.M.REL
2 autem but ADV
3 in for/unto PREP+ACC
4 caprum goat ACC.SG.M
5 emissarium scapegoat ACC.SG.M
6 statuet he-will-set 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON.PERS
8 vivum alive ACC.SG.M
9 coram before PREP+ABL
10 Domino LORD ABL.SG.M
11 ut so-that CONJ
12 fundat he-may-pour-out 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
13 preces prayers ACC.PL.F
14 super over PREP+ACC
15 eo him ABL.SG.M.PRON.DEM
16 et and CONJ
17 emittat he-may-send-away 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
18 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON.PERS
19 in into PREP+ACC
20 solitudinem wilderness ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Relative Clause: cuius autem in caprum emissarium — identifies the goat by the lot assigned “for the scapegoat,” with autem marking contrast
Main Clause: statuet (verb) + eum vivum (direct object with predicate adjective)
Locative Phrase: coram Domino — ritual presence before the LORD
Purpose Clause: ut fundat preces super eo et emittat eum — two coordinated subjunctives expressing purpose
Directional Phrase: in solitudinem — destination of dismissal

Morphology

  1. cuius — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: introduces a defining relative clause; Translation: whose; Notes: Refers to the goat selected by lot.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: marks contrast; Translation: but; Notes: Distinguishes this goat from the one for the LORD.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: indicates assignment or direction; Translation: for/unto; Notes: Used idiomatically with lots.
  4. caprum — Lemma: caper; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular, third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: goat; Notes: The animal designated by the lot.
  5. emissarium — Lemma: emissarius; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: modifies caprum; Translation: scapegoat; Notes: Identifies the goat to be sent away.
  6. statuet — Lemma: statuo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: he will set; Notes: Indicates deliberate placement.
  7. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers back to the scapegoat.
  8. vivum — Lemma: vivus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: alive; Notes: Emphasizes that the goat is not sacrificed.
  9. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: expresses presence; Translation: before; Notes: Common in ritual contexts.
  10. Domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of coram; Translation: LORD; Notes: Rendered “LORD” because it refers to YHWH.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: so that; Notes: Governs the subjunctive.
  12. fundat — Lemma: fundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: he may pour out; Notes: Metaphorically applied to prayers.
  13. preces — Lemma: prex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural, third declension; Function: direct object of fundat; Translation: prayers; Notes: Refers to spoken intercessions.
  14. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: indicates direction over; Translation: over; Notes: Describes gesture toward the goat.
  15. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of the preposition; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to the scapegoat.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins the two purpose verbs.
  17. emittat — Lemma: emitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: second verb of the purpose clause; Translation: he may send away; Notes: Expresses dismissal rather than sacrifice.
  18. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object of emittat; Translation: him; Notes: Continues reference to the scapegoat.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: into; Notes: Marks the destination.
  20. solitudinem — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: wilderness; Notes: Symbolic place of removal and separation.

 

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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