Leviticus 1:15

Posted on April 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 1:15 offeret eam sacerdos ad altare: et retorto ad collum capite, ac rupto vulneris loco, decurrere faciet sanguinem super crepidinem altaris:

the priest shall offer it at the altar, and with the head twisted back at the neck, and the place of the wound torn, he shall cause the blood to run down upon the edge of the altar;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 offeret he shall offer VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 eam it PRON, ACC.SG.F, PERS
3 sacerdos the priest NOUN, NOM.SG.M, 3RD DECL
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 altare altar NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL
6 et and CONJ
7 retorto having been twisted back PTCP, ABL.SG.N, PERF.PASS
8 ad at / toward PREP+ACC
9 collum neck NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 2ND DECL
10 capite with the head NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 3RD DECL
11 ac and CONJ
12 rupto having been torn PTCP, ABL.SG.M/N, PERF.PASS
13 vulneris of the wound NOUN, GEN.SG.N, 3RD DECL
14 loco place NOUN, ABL.SG.M, 2ND DECL
15 decurrere to run down VERB, PRES.ACT.INF
16 faciet he shall cause VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 sanguinem blood NOUN, ACC.SG.M, 3RD DECL
18 super upon PREP+ACC
19 crepidinem edge NOUN, ACC.SG.F, 3RD DECL
20 altaris of the altar NOUN, GEN.SG.N, 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: offeret eam sacerdos ad altare — the priest presents the sacrificial bird at the altar.
Absolute Construction 1: retorto ad collum capite — describes the twisting back of the head near the neck.
Absolute Construction 2: rupto vulneris loco — the place of the wound being torn/opened.
Main Clause 2: faciet sanguinem decurrere — causative construction: “he shall cause the blood to run down.”
Prepositional Phrase: super crepidinem altaris — identifies where the blood must flow.

Morphology

  1. offeret — Lemma: off ero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verbal action; Translation: he shall offer; Notes: sacrificial terminology.
  2. eam — Lemma: is/ea/id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the bird offering.
  3. sacerdos — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the priest; Notes: officiant of the rite.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: motion toward altar.
  5. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: altar; Notes: locus of sacrificial action.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links ritual steps.
  7. retorto — Lemma: retorqueo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having been twisted back; Notes: describes method of killing.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: relation; Translation: at; Notes: spatial orientation.
  9. collum — Lemma: collum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: neck; Notes: site of the twisting motion.
  10. capite — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: component of ablative absolute; Translation: with the head; Notes: specifies anatomical part.
  11. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects absolute phrases; Translation: and; Notes: stylistic variation of et.
  12. rupto — Lemma: rumpo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having been torn; Notes: refers to exposed wound.
  13. vulneris — Lemma: vulnus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the wound; Notes: identifies location.
  14. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of respect; Translation: place; Notes: ablative absolute participant.
  15. decurrere — Lemma: decurro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of faciet; Translation: to run down; Notes: infinitive in a causative structure.
  16. faciet — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of causation; Translation: he shall cause; Notes: standard sacrificial directive.
  17. sanguinem — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of decurrere; Translation: blood; Notes: essential ritual component.
  18. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial marker; Translation: upon; Notes: position of blood flow.
  19. crepidinem — Lemma: crepido; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: edge; Notes: architectural term for altar ledge.
  20. altaris — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifying genitive; Translation: of the altar; Notes: defines sacred structure.

 

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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