Exodus 29:18

Posted on March 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 29:18 Et offeres totum arietem in incensum super altare: oblatio est Domino, odor suavissimus victimæ Domini.

And you shall offer the whole ram as a burnt offering upon the altar: it is an offering to the LORD, a most sweet odor of the sacrifice of the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ INDECL
2 offeres you shall offer VERB 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
3 totum whole ADJ ACC.SG.M POS
4 arietem ram NOUN ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL
5 in as / into PREP+ACC INDECL
6 incensum burnt offering NOUN ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
7 super upon PREP+ACC INDECL
8 altare altar NOUN ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
9 oblatio offering NOUN NOM.SG.F 3RD DECL
10 est is VERB 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG
11 Domino, to the LORD NOUN DAT.SG.M 2ND DECL
12 odor odor NOUN NOM.SG.M 3RD DECL
13 suavissimus most sweet ADJ NOM.SG.M SUPER
14 victimæ of the sacrifice NOUN GEN.SG.F 1ST DECL
15 Domini. of the LORD NOUN GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL

Syntax

Main Command:
Et offeres totum arietem in incensum super altare —
• Verb: offeres
• Direct object: totum arietem
• in incensum expresses result (“as a burnt offering”)
• super altare marks location (“upon the altar”)

Nominal Clause:
oblatio est Domino —
• oblatio is subject
• est is copula
• Domino is dative of advantage: “to the LORD”

Further Description:
odor suavissimus victimæ Domini —
• odor suavissimus = nominative description (“a most sweet odor”)
• victimæ Domini = genitive (“of the sacrifice of the LORD”)
• Understand the linking verb: “it is”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects this command to the prior instructions; Translation: and; Notes: frequent ritual connective.
  2. offeres — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular, 3rd conjugation; Function: main command; Translation: you shall offer; Notes: standard sacrificial verb.
  3. totum — Lemma: totus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies arietem; Translation: whole; Notes: indicates entire ram is burnt.
  4. arietem — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of offeres; Translation: ram; Notes: consecration offering.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses result/purpose; Translation: as / into; Notes: used for transformation into an offering.
  6. incensum — Lemma: incensum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: complement of in; Translation: burnt offering; Notes: literally “burning.”
  7. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates location; Translation: upon; Notes: typical altar phrasing.
  8. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of super; Translation: altar; Notes: ritual site of burning.
  9. oblatio — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: subject; Translation: offering; Notes: identifies the act.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular, irregular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: links oblatio with Domino.
  11. Domino, — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  12. odor — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: new nominative subject; Translation: odor; Notes: describes pleasing aroma.
  13. suavissimus — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine, superlative; Function: modifies odor; Translation: most sweet; Notes: SUPER = superlative degree.
  14. victimæ — Lemma: victima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: genitive dependent on odor; Translation: of the sacrifice; Notes: sacrificial element resulting in odor.
  15. Domini. — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: modifies victimæ; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.

 

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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