Leviticus 2:12

Posted on April 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 2:12 Primitias tantum eorum offeretis ac munera: super altare vero non imponentur in odorem suavitatis.

Only their firstfruits you shall offer and the gifts; but they shall not be placed upon the altar as a fragrance of sweetness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Primitias firstfruits NOUN, ACC.PL.F, 3RD DECL
2 tantum only ADV, INDECL
3 eorum of them PRON, GEN.PL.M/N, PERS
4 offeretis you shall offer VERB, 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
5 ac and CONJ
6 munera gifts NOUN, ACC.PL.N, 3RD DECL
7 super upon PREP+ACC
8 altare altar NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL
9 vero however ADV, INDECL
10 non not ADV, INDECL
11 imponentur they shall be placed VERB, 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND
12 in into PREP+ACC
13 odorem fragrance NOUN, ACC.SG.M, 3RD DECL
14 suavitatis of sweetness NOUN, GEN.SG.F, 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Primitias tantum eorum offeretis ac munera — “Only their firstfruits you shall offer and the gifts,” with Primitias and munera as coordinated direct objects and offeretis as the future-prescriptive verb.
Adverbial Modifier: tantum restricts what may be offered.
Restriction Clause: super altare vero non imponentur — “however, they shall not be placed upon the altar,” with imponentur as the main passive verb.
Purpose/Result Phrase: in odorem suavitatis — indicates the type of offering that is forbidden (“as a fragrance of sweetness”).

Morphology

  1. Primitias — Lemma: primitia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: firstfruits; Notes: refers to the earliest yield dedicated to the LORD.
  2. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: restrictor; Translation: only; Notes: limits what may be offered.
  3. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine/neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: of them; Notes: denotes the owners of the firstfruits.
  4. offeretis — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall offer; Notes: expresses mandatory cultic action.
  5. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins coordinated objects; Translation: and; Notes: stylistic variant of et.
  6. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: gifts; Notes: general term for voluntary offerings.
  7. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses placement; Translation: upon; Notes: commonly introduces sacrificial placement.
  8. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the bronze altar.
  9. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: marks contrast; Translation: however; Notes: shifts from permissible offerings to prohibition.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: direct negative of the future obligation.
  11. imponentur — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future passive indicative; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: they shall be placed; Notes: passive highlights forbidden ritual outcome.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose/result; Translation: into; Notes: used in sacrificial idioms.
  13. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: fragrance; Notes: technical term for burnt-offering aroma.
  14. suavitatis — Lemma: suavitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of sweetness; Notes: characterizes the intended sacrificial aroma.

 

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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