Leviticus 2:4

Posted on April 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 2:4 Cum autem obtuleris sacrificium coctum in clibano: de simila, panes scilicet absque fermento, conspersos oleo, et lagana azyma oleo lita.

But when you shall offer a sacrifice baked in an oven: it shall be of fine flour—namely, unleavened loaves mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum when CONJ
2 autem however ADV, INDECL
3 obtuleris you shall have offered VERB, 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 sacrificium sacrifice NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 2ND DECL
5 coctum baked PTCP, ACC.SG.N, PERF.PASS
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 clibano oven NOUN, ABL.SG.M, 2ND DECL
8 de of PREP+ABL
9 simila fine flour NOUN, ABL.SG.F, 1ST DECL
10 panes loaves NOUN, ACC.PL.M, 3RD DECL
11 scilicet namely ADV, INDECL
12 absque without PREP+ABL
13 fermento leaven NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL
14 conspersos mixed PTCP, ACC.PL.M, PERF.PASS
15 oleo with oil NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL
16 et and CONJ
17 lagana wafers NOUN, ACC.PL.N, 1ST DECL
18 azyma unleavened ADJ, ACC.PL.N, POS
19 oleo with oil NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL
20 lita anointed PTCP, ACC.PL.N, PERF.PASS

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cum autem obtuleris sacrificium coctum in clibano — establishes the condition under which this rule applies, with obtuleris as a future-perfect legal trigger and coctum in clibano modifying sacrificium.
Main Predicate (understood): describes the required composition of the sacrificial offering.
Specification Phrase: de simila — identifies material source: fine flour.
Appositional Detail: panes scilicet absque fermento, conspersos oleo — identifies the form of the offering (unleavened loaves mixed with oil).
Coordinated Item: et lagana azyma oleo lita — adds unleavened wafers anointed with oil, completing the required sacrificial forms.

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal legal clause; Translation: when; Notes: used frequently in legal prescription for contingent ritual actions.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: connective soft contrast; Translation: however; Notes: typical legal connective in Vulgate prose.
  3. obtuleris — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: you shall have offered; Notes: future perfect marks the triggering completion of a ritual act.
  4. sacrificium — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of obtuleris; Translation: sacrifice; Notes: here specifically a grain-type offering baked.
  5. coctum — Lemma: coquo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: modifies sacrificium; Translation: baked; Notes: describes method of preparation.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative expression; Translation: in; Notes: introduces the place of baking.
  7. clibano — Lemma: clibanus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: oven; Notes: refers to a clay or brick baking oven.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: material source; Translation: of; Notes: introduces the substance of the offering.
  9. simila — Lemma: simila; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of material; Translation: fine flour; Notes: indicates refined wheat flour.
  10. panes — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: apposition to sacrificium; Translation: loaves; Notes: identifies the form of the grain offering.
  11. scilicet — Lemma: scilicet; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: explanatory marker; Translation: namely; Notes: adds specification within the enumeration.
  12. absque — Lemma: absque; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses exclusion; Translation: without; Notes: used to prohibit leaven in offerings.
  13. fermento — Lemma: fermentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of absque; Translation: leaven; Notes: ritually excluded in sacrificial contexts.
  14. conspersos — Lemma: consero (or conspergo in sense “to sprinkle”); Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies panes; Translation: mixed; Notes: describes preparation with oil.
  15. oleo — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with oil; Notes: the oil constitutes ritual sanctification.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces coordinated element; Translation: and; Notes: links two forms of baked offerings.
  17. lagana — Lemma: laganum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: coordinated object; Translation: wafers; Notes: thin cakes baked on a plate or oven.
  18. azyma — Lemma: azymus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies lagana; Translation: unleavened; Notes: emphasizes ritual purity.
  19. oleo — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with oil; Notes: repeated for second type of offering.
  20. lita — Lemma: lino; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: modifies lagana azyma; Translation: anointed; Notes: describes spreading oil upon wafers.

 

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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