Numeri 8:12 (Numbers 8:12)

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 8:12 Levitæ quoque ponent manus suas super capita boum, e quibus unum facies pro peccato, et alterum in holocaustum Domini, ut depreceris pro eis.

And the Levites also shall place their hands upon the heads of the bulls, from which you shall make one for sin, and the other for a holocaust to the LORD, that you may make atonement for them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Levitæ Levites NOM.PL.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 ponent they shall place 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
4 manus hands ACC.PL.F
5 suas their ACC.PL.F POSS
6 super upon PREP+ACC
7 capita heads ACC.PL.N
8 boum of bulls GEN.PL.M
9 e from PREP+ABL
10 quibus which ABL.PL REL
11 unum one ACC.SG.M
12 facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 pro for PREP+ABL
14 peccato sin ABL.SG.N
15 et and CONJ
16 alterum the other ACC.SG.M
17 in for PREP+ACC
18 holocaustum holocaust ACC.SG.N
19 Domini of LORD GEN.SG.M
20 ut that CONJ
21 depreceris you may make atonement 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
22 pro for PREP+ABL
23 eis them ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Levitæ quoque ponent manus suas super capita boum — future indicative expressing ritual action by the Levites.

Relative Clause: e quibus unum facies… — specifies how the bulls are to be used.

Coordinated Structure: unum… et alterum… — contrasts the two sacrificial functions.

Prepositional Phrases: pro peccato and in holocaustum Domini — indicate purpose of each offering.

Purpose Clause: ut depreceris pro eis — expresses intended outcome of atonement.

Morphology

  1. Levitæ — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Levites; Notes: Priestly group.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: Adds participation.
  3. ponent — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall place; Notes: Ritual action.
  4. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: hands; Notes: Gesture.
  5. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies manus; Translation: their; Notes: Reflexive.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: location; Translation: upon; Notes: Physical contact.
  7. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object; Translation: heads; Notes: Body part.
  8. boum — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies capita; Translation: of bulls; Notes: Sacrificial animals.
  9. e — Lemma: e; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Origin.
  10. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: introduces clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to bulls.
  11. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: one; Notes: First animal.
  12. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: verb; Translation: you shall make; Notes: Instruction.
  13. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: purpose; Translation: for; Notes: Offering type.
  14. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object; Translation: sin; Notes: Sin offering.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links; Translation: and; Notes: Coordination.
  16. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: the other; Notes: Second animal.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: purpose; Translation: for; Notes: Offering type.
  18. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object; Translation: holocaust; Notes: Burnt offering.
  19. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies holocaustum; Translation: of LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  20. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: Requires subjunctive.
  21. depreceris — Lemma: deprecor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd person singular present subjunctive; Function: verb; Translation: you may make atonement; Notes: Deponent with active meaning.
  22. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: purpose; Translation: for; Notes: Beneficiaries.
  23. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to Levites.

 

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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