Leviticus 1:6

Posted on April 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 1:6 detractaque pelle hostiæ, artus in frusta concident,

and when the skin of the victim has been removed, they shall cut the limbs into pieces,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 detractaque and having removed PTCP, PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.F + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 pelle skin NOUN, ABL.SG.F, 3RD DECL
3 hostiæ of the victim NOUN, GEN.SG.F, 1ST DECL
4 artus limbs NOUN, ACC.PL.M, 4TH DECL
5 in into PREP+ACC
6 frusta pieces NOUN, ACC.PL.N, 2ND DECL
7 conincident they shall cut VERB, 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: detracta pelle hostiæ — describes the prerequisite action of skin removal before cutting begins.
Main Clause: artus … concident — the priests cut the limbs of the sacrificial animal.
Prepositional Phrase: in frusta — expresses the result of cutting: the limbs are divided into smaller pieces.
Enclitic -que: attached to detracta links this ablative absolute to the preceding ritual sequence.

Morphology

  1. detractaque — Lemma: detraho; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative singular feminine + enclitic -que; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: and having removed; Notes: ablative absolute describes preparatory ritual action.
  2. pelle — Lemma: pellis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: complement of ablative absolute; Translation: skin; Notes: refers to the hide of the sacrificial animal.
  3. hostiæ — Lemma: hostia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying pelle; Translation: of the victim; Notes: identifies sacrificial source.
  4. artus — Lemma: artus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: limbs; Notes: standard term for major limbs of an animal.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses resulting state; Translation: into; Notes: indicates transformation of form.
  6. frusta — Lemma: frustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: complement of in; Translation: pieces; Notes: describes sacrificial dismemberment portions.
  7. conincident — Lemma: concido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main ritual action; Translation: they shall cut; Notes: expresses obligatory priestly procedure.

 

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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