Leviticus 2:1

Posted on April 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 2:1 Anima cum obtulerit oblationem sacrificii Domino, simila erit eius oblatio. fundetque super eam oleum, et ponet thus,

A person, when he offers an offering of sacrifice to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it and shall place frankincense,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Anima a person NOUN, NOM.SG.F, 1ST DECL
2 cum when CONJ
3 obtulerit shall have offered VERB, 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 oblationem an offering NOUN, ACC.SG.F, 3RD DECL
5 sacrificii of sacrifice NOUN, GEN.SG.N, 2ND DECL
6 Domino to the LORD NOUN, DAT.SG.M, 2ND DECL
7 simila fine flour NOUN, NOM.SG.F, 1ST DECL
8 erit shall be VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 eius its PRON, GEN.SG.M/F/N, POSS
10 oblatio offering NOUN, NOM.SG.F, 3RD DECL
11 fundetque and he shall pour VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 super upon PREP+ACC
13 eam it PRON, ACC.SG.F, PERS
14 oleum oil NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 2ND DECL
15 et and CONJ
16 ponet he shall place VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 thus frankincense NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL

Syntax

Conditional / Temporal Frame: Anima cum obtulerit oblationem sacrificii Domino — introduces the case of a person bringing a sacrifice-offering to the LORD, with Anima as subject and cum obtulerit forming a legal “when he shall have offered” construction.
Main Equative Clause: simila erit eius oblatio — defines the required material of the offering: the offering belonging to that person must be fine flour.
Second Main Clause: fundetque super eam oleum — describes the first action performed on the grain offering, pouring oil upon it.
Coordinated Action: et ponet thus — adds a second required act: placing frankincense on the offering, completing the prescribed preparation.

Morphology

  1. Anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of the whole legal condition; Translation: a person; Notes: although literally “soul,” in legal-sacrificial contexts it stands for an individual Israelite bringing an offering.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a temporal/conditional clause; Translation: when; Notes: here combines with the future perfect verb to express “whenever / when he has offered.”
  3. obtulerit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the cum-clause; Translation: shall have offered; Notes: legal style uses future perfect to mark a completed act that triggers the obligation described in the main clause.
  4. oblationem — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of obtulerit; Translation: an offering; Notes: technical term for the gift brought near to the altar.
  5. sacrificii — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive specifying the type of offering; Translation: of sacrifice; Notes: indicates that this oblatio is part of a sacrificial system, not a mere donation.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: dative of advantage / indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH, the divine recipient of the offering.
  7. simila — Lemma: simila; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative with erit; Translation: fine flour; Notes: denotes finely milled wheat flour used for grain offerings.
  8. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copula in the main clause; Translation: shall be; Notes: future tense expresses legal requirement: what his offering must be.
  9. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/feminine/neuter; Function: possessive genitive modifying oblatio; Translation: his / its; Notes: refers back to the “person” (Anima) whose offering is being regulated.
  10. oblatio — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: grammatical subject with erit (understood as “his offering”); Translation: offering; Notes: identifies the object that must consist of fine flour.
  11. fundetque — Lemma: fundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb of the second clause describing preparation; Translation: and he shall pour; Notes: describes the ritual act of pouring oil over the grain offering.
  12. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: marks the surface (the grain offering) that receives the oil.
  13. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of the preposition super; Translation: it; Notes: feminine pronoun referring back to oblatio, the grain offering.
  14. oleum — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of fundetque; Translation: oil; Notes: likely olive oil, serving to enrich and sanctify the grain offering.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates the second preparatory action with the first; Translation: and; Notes: links pouring oil and placing incense as joint requirements.
  16. ponet — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the coordinated action; Translation: he shall place; Notes: continues the prescriptive future sequence describing how the offering is prepared.
  17. thus — Lemma: thus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of ponet; Translation: frankincense; Notes: aromatic resin added to the grain offering, contributing to its “sweet odor” before the LORD.

 

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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