Leviticus 24:2

Posted on April 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 24:2 Præcipe filiis Israel, ut afferant tibi oleum de olivis purissimum, ac lucidum, ad concinnandas lucernas iugiter,

“Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you oil from olives, most pure and clear, for preparing lamps continually,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Præcipe command 2SG.PRES.IMP.ACT
2 filiis to the sons DAT.PL.M
3 Israel Israel INDECL
4 ut that CONJ
5 afferant they bring 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
6 tibi to you DAT.SG
7 oleum oil ACC.SG.N
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 olivis olives ABL.PL.F
10 purissimum most pure ACC.SG.N SUPER
11 ac and CONJ
12 lucidum clear ACC.SG.N ADJ
13 ad for PREP+ACC
14 concinnandas preparing ACC.PL.F GERUNDV
15 lucernas lamps ACC.PL.F
16 iugiter continually ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: Præcipe (imperative verb of command) + filiis Israel (indirect object, those commanded).

Content Clause: ut afferant — purpose/content clause in the present subjunctive expressing what is commanded.

Direct Object: oleum, further specified by de olivis and qualifying adjectives purissimum and lucidum.

Purpose Phrase: ad concinnandas lucernas — gerundive construction expressing intended function.

Adverbial Modifier: iugiter — modifies the ongoing action implied in lamp preparation.

Morphology

  1. Præcipe — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present imperative active; Function: issues a direct command; Translation: command; Notes: governs both a dative of persons and a subordinate ut-clause.
  2. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine plural, second declension; Function: indirect object of Præcipe; Translation: to the sons; Notes: dative marks the recipients of the command.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitival apposition specifying filiis; Translation: Israel; Notes: Hebrew proper name treated as indeclinable in Latin.
  4. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces the content of the command; Translation: that; Notes: regularly followed by the subjunctive after verbs of ordering.
  5. afferant — Lemma: affero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive active; Function: verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: they bring; Notes: subjunctive reflects dependence on the imperative Præcipe.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of afferant; Translation: to you; Notes: specifies the recipient of the offering.
  7. oleum — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular, second declension; Function: direct object of afferant; Translation: oil; Notes: central cultic commodity in ritual contexts.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces source or material; Translation: from; Notes: emphasizes origin rather than mere association.
  9. olivis — Lemma: oliva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine plural, first declension; Function: object of de; Translation: olives; Notes: specifies the natural source of the oil.
  10. purissimum — Lemma: purus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular superlative; Function: modifies oleum; Translation: most pure; Notes: superlative stresses ritual suitability and quality.
  11. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links parallel adjectives; Translation: and; Notes: often slightly emphatic, close to “and also.”
  12. lucidum — Lemma: lucidus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular positive degree; Function: further modifies oleum; Translation: clear; Notes: highlights suitability for producing clean light.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: for; Notes: common with gerundive constructions of intent.
  14. concinnandas — Lemma: concinno; Part of Speech: verb (gerundive); Form: accusative feminine plural gerundive; Function: modifies lucernas expressing purpose; Translation: preparing; Notes: gerundive conveys intended or destined action.
  15. lucernas — Lemma: lucerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural, first declension; Function: object of the gerundive phrase; Translation: lamps; Notes: refers to cultic lamps requiring continual maintenance.
  16. iugiter — Lemma: iugiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier of the purpose clause; Translation: continually; Notes: stresses uninterrupted or regular action over time.

 

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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