Leviticus 21:8

Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

8 et panes propositionis offerunt. Sint ergo sancti, quia et ego sanctus sum, Dominus, qui sanctifico eos.

and they offer the bread of the Presence. Therefore let them be holy, because I also am holy, the LORD, who sanctify them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 panes bread ACC.PL.M (3RD DECL)
3 propositionis of the Presence GEN.SG.F (3RD DECL)
4 offerunt they offer 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 Sint let them be 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
6 ergo therefore ADV
7 sancti holy NOM.PL.M (ADJ)
8 quia because CONJ
9 et also ADV
10 ego I NOM.SG (PERS)
11 sanctus holy NOM.SG.M (ADJ)
12 sum I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M (2ND DECL)
14 qui who NOM.SG.M (REL)
15 sanctifico I sanctify 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 eos them ACC.PL.M (PERS)

Syntax

Cultic Statement: et panes propositionis offerunt — present indicative describing ongoing priestly service, with a genitive of specification.

Jussive Exhortation: Sint ergo sancti — present subjunctive expressing an exhortative command grounded in prior duty.

Causal Grounding: quia et ego sanctus sum — causal clause anchoring priestly holiness in divine holiness.

Relative Self-Identification: Dominus qui sanctifico eos — appositional title with a relative clause asserting ongoing divine action toward the priests.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links with the preceding priestly duties.
  2. panes — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Refers to the sacred loaves.
  3. propositionis — Lemma: propositio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: genitive modifier; Translation: “of the Presence”; Notes: Cultic term for the bread set before God.
  4. offerunt — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “they offer”; Notes: Describes regular priestly action.
  5. Sint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: jussive exhortation; Translation: “let them be”; Notes: Expresses moral obligation.
  6. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: inferential marker; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Draws conclusion from priestly role.
  7. sancti — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative masculine plural; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Required priestly state.
  8. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Grounds the exhortation.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: emphatic addition; Translation: “also”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the subject.
  10. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Highlights divine self-reference.
  11. sanctus — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Attribute of God.
  12. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “I am”; Notes: States divine being.
  13. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: appositional title; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  14. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to Dominus.
  15. sanctifico — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: relative-clause verb; Translation: “I sanctify”; Notes: Ongoing divine action.
  16. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the priests.

 

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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