Numeri 15:3 (Numbers 15:3)

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:3 et feceritis oblationem Domino in holocaustum, aut victimam, vota solventes, vel sponte offerentes munera, aut in sollemnitatibus vestris adolentes odorem suavitatis Domino, de bobus sive de ovibus:

and you shall have made an oblation to the LORD as a holocaust, or a victim, paying vows, or freely offering gifts, or in your solemnities burning an odor of sweetness to the LORD, from cattle or from sheep;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 feceritis you shall have made 2PL.FUTP.ACT.IND
3 oblationem oblation ACC.SG.F.3RD DECL.OBJ
4 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M.2ND DECL.IOBJ
5 in as PREP+ACC
6 holocaustum holocaust ACC.SG.N.2ND DECL
7 aut or CONJ
8 victimam victim ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL
9 vota vows ACC.PL.N.2ND DECL.OBJ
10 solventes paying NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
11 vel or CONJ
12 sponte freely ABL.SG.F.1ST DECL.ADV
13 offerentes offering NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
14 munera gifts ACC.PL.N.2ND DECL.OBJ
15 aut or CONJ
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 sollemnitatibus solemnities ABL.PL.F.3RD DECL
18 vestris your ABL.PL.F.POSS.PRON
19 adolentes burning NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
20 odorem odor ACC.SG.M.3RD DECL.OBJ
21 suavitatis of sweetness GEN.SG.F.3RD DECL
22 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M.2ND DECL.IOBJ
23 de from PREP+ABL
24 bobus cattle ABL.PL.M.3RD DECL
25 sive or CONJ
26 de from PREP+ABL
27 ovibus sheep ABL.PL.F.3RD DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: The coordinating et links this instruction to the preceding context. The finite verb feceritis governs the direct object oblationem, with the implied subject being the addressed people.

Indirect Object: Domino marks the divine recipient of the offering, hence “to the LORD.”

Offering Categories: in holocaustum and aut victimam describe the sacrificial form or category of the oblationem.

Participial Phrases: vota solventes, sponte offerentes munera, and adolentes odorem suavitatis describe the circumstances or manner in which the offering is made.

Temporal Phrase: in sollemnitatibus vestris identifies the appointed sacred occasions in which such offerings may occur.

Source Phrase: de bobus sive de ovibus specifies the animal source of the offering, whether from cattle or from sheep.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects this instruction with the preceding statement; Translation: and; Notes: The word gives the command a continuing legal sequence rather than beginning an isolated sentence.
  2. feceritis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future perfect active indicative; Function: main finite verb of the clause; Translation: you shall have made; Notes: The future perfect presents the action as completed before the following sacrificial conditions are considered.
  3. oblationem — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine third declension; Function: direct object of feceritis; Translation: oblation; Notes: The term denotes something formally brought forward or presented in worship.
  4. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine second declension; Function: indirect object indicating the recipient of the offering; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: Here Domino refers to YHWH, so it is rendered “LORD.”
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the accusative; Function: introduces the sacrificial category; Translation: as; Notes: With the accusative, in can express purpose, result, or classification.
  6. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: holocaust; Notes: The word refers to a whole burnt offering, a sacrifice wholly consumed by fire.
  7. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating disjunctive conjunction; Function: introduces an alternative sacrificial category; Translation: or; Notes: The conjunction separates distinct possibilities within the offering regulations.
  8. victimam — Lemma: victima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: accusative complement parallel to holocaustum; Translation: victim; Notes: In sacrificial Latin, victima denotes an animal offered in sacrifice.
  9. vota — Lemma: votum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter second declension; Function: direct object of solventes; Translation: vows; Notes: The plural points to vowed obligations being fulfilled through offerings.
  10. solventes — Lemma: solvo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the implied subject; Translation: paying; Notes: The verb solvo literally means to loosen or release, and by extension to discharge an obligation.
  11. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces another alternative manner of offering; Translation: or; Notes: The word softens the alternatives by presenting another legitimate case.
  12. sponte — Lemma: spons; Part of Speech: noun used adverbially; Form: ablative singular feminine first declension; Function: adverbial ablative of manner; Translation: freely; Notes: The ablative expresses voluntary action, hence an offering made from one’s own willingness.
  13. offerentes — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the implied subject; Translation: offering; Notes: The verb emphasizes the act of bringing or presenting something before God.
  14. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter third declension; Function: direct object of offerentes; Translation: gifts; Notes: The word can refer to gifts, duties, or offerings, here clearly sacrificial gifts.
  15. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating disjunctive conjunction; Function: introduces another offering circumstance; Translation: or; Notes: The repeated conjunction organizes the legal alternatives in a clear sequence.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the temporal setting; Translation: in; Notes: With the ablative, in commonly indicates location or time within which an action occurs.
  17. sollemnitatibus — Lemma: sollemnitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: solemnities; Notes: The noun refers to appointed sacred observances or formal religious occasions.
  18. vestris — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine agreeing with sollemnitatibus; Function: modifies sollemnitatibus; Translation: your; Notes: The pronoun marks these solemnities as belonging to the covenant community’s worship calendar.
  19. adolentes — Lemma: adoleo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the implied subject; Translation: burning; Notes: In sacrificial contexts, adoleo refers to burning an offering so that its fragrance rises.
  20. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine third declension; Function: direct object of adolentes; Translation: odor; Notes: The word refers to the sacrificial aroma produced by the burning offering.
  21. suavitatis — Lemma: suavitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine third declension; Function: genitive modifying odorem; Translation: of sweetness; Notes: The genitive characterizes the odor as pleasing, agreeable, and acceptable in worship.
  22. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine second declension; Function: indirect object indicating the recipient of the pleasing aroma; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: As earlier in the verse, Domino refers to YHWH and is therefore translated “LORD.”
  23. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the source material of the offering; Translation: from; Notes: The preposition marks the animal class from which the sacrifice is taken.
  24. bobus — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine third declension; Function: object of de; Translation: cattle; Notes: The form bobus is a distinctive plural form of bos, referring here to bovine animals for sacrifice.
  25. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating alternative conjunction; Function: connects two possible animal sources; Translation: or; Notes: The word presents bobus and ovibus as alternative acceptable sources.
  26. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: preposition governing the ablative; Function: introduces the second source category; Translation: from; Notes: The repeated preposition keeps the two animal categories syntactically parallel.
  27. ovibus — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine third declension; Function: object of de; Translation: sheep; Notes: The word refers to sheep as a permitted sacrificial source alongside cattle.

 

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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