Leviticus 16:20

Posted on April 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 16:20 Postquam emundaverit Sanctuarium, et tabernaculum, et altare, tunc offerat hircum viventem:

After he has cleansed the Sanctuary, and the tent, and the altar, then he shall offer the living goat;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Postquam after CONJ
2 emundaverit he-has-cleansed 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
3 Sanctuarium sanctuary ACC.SG.N
4 et and CONJ
5 tabernaculum tent ACC.SG.N
6 et and CONJ
7 altare altar ACC.SG.N
8 tunc then ADV
9 offerat he-may-offer 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
10 hircum goat ACC.SG.M
11 viventem living ACC.SG.M.PTCP.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Postquam emundaverit Sanctuarium et tabernaculum et altare — prior completion expressed with perfect subjunctive
Temporal Adverb: tunc — marks the next procedural step
Main Jussive Clause: offerat hircum viventem — prescribed action following purification
Participial Modifier: viventem — characterizes the goat as alive at presentation

Morphology

  1. Postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a temporal clause; Translation: after; Notes: Sets a completed prerequisite.
  2. emundaverit — Lemma: emundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: he has cleansed; Notes: Indicates purification completed before the next act.
  3. Sanctuarium — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular, second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: sanctuary; Notes: The holy space purified.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins items in the series.
  5. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular, second declension; Function: coordinated object; Translation: tent; Notes: The sacred dwelling.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the list.
  7. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular, third declension; Function: coordinated object; Translation: altar; Notes: The place of sacrifice.
  8. tunc — Lemma: tunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: then; Notes: Marks sequence in the rite.
  9. offerat — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: jussive predicate; Translation: he shall offer; Notes: Prescriptive command within ritual instruction.
  10. hircum — Lemma: hircus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular, second declension; Function: direct object of offerat; Translation: goat; Notes: The animal designated for the rite.
  11. viventem — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle accusative masculine singular; Function: attributive modifier of hircum; Translation: living; Notes: Emphasizes that the goat is alive at offering.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Leviticus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.