Leviticus 23:20

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

20 Cumque elevaverit eos sacerdos cum panibus primitiarum coram Domino, cedent in usum eius.

And when the priest has raised them together with the loaves of firstfruits before the LORD, they shall belong for his use.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 elevaverit has raised 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS
4 sacerdos the priest NOM.SG.M
5 cum with PREP+ABL
6 panibus loaves ABL.PL.M
7 primitiarum of firstfruits GEN.PL.F
8 coram before PREP+ABL
9 Domino the LORD ABL.SG.M
10 cedent they shall belong 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
11 in for PREP+ACC
12 usum use ACC.SG.M
13 eius his GEN.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque elevaverit sacerdos — circumstantial cum-clause with perfect subjunctive, setting the ritual condition under which the result applies.
Direct Object: eos — accusative pronoun referring to the sacrificial animals previously mentioned.
Accompaniment: cum panibus primitiarum — ablative of accompaniment, linking the elevation of the animals with the firstfruits loaves.
Sacral Setting: coram Domino — prepositional phrase marking the act as performed in the presence of YHWH.
Result Clause: cedent in usum eius — future indicative expressing legal outcome: the offerings become the priest’s rightful portion.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Conjunction with enclitic; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects this instruction to the preceding ritual sequence.
  2. elevaverit — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal cum-clause; Translation: “has raised”; Notes: Subjunctive is required by circumstantial cum, focusing on the ritual act as a condition.
  3. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object of elevaverit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial animals presented with the loaves.
  4. sacerdos — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “the priest”; Notes: Cultic official authorized to perform the elevation rite.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Links the animals to the accompanying loaves.
  6. panibus — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: object of cum; Translation: “loaves”; Notes: Refers specifically to the firstfruits bread offering.
  7. primitiarum — Lemma: primitiæ; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive feminine plural; Function: descriptive genitive; Translation: “of firstfruits”; Notes: Marks the loaves as consecrated produce.
  8. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: spatial/sacral relation; Translation: “before”; Notes: Indicates presentation in the divine presence.
  9. Domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of coram; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the recipient and witness of the rite.
  10. cedent — Lemma: cedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb of the result clause; Translation: “they shall belong”; Notes: Legal-transfer sense: the offerings pass into priestly possession.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: purpose/benefit; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates intended use rather than location.
  12. usum — Lemma: usus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “use”; Notes: Denotes lawful consumption or benefit.
  13. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies usum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the priest, not to YHWH.

 

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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