Leviticus 3:5

Posted on April 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 3:5 adolebuntque ea super altare in holocaustum, lignis igne supposito: in oblationem suavissimi odoris Domino.

and they shall burn these upon the altar as a holocaust, with wood set underneath for fire, as an offering of a most sweet fragrance to the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 adolebuntque and they shall burn VERB, 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
2 ea these things PRON, ACC.PL.N, DEM
3 super upon PREP+ACC
4 altare altar NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL
5 in as PREP+ACC
6 holocaustum a burnt offering NOUN, ACC.SG.N, 2ND DECL
7 lignis with wood NOUN, ABL.PL.N, 2ND DECL
8 igne fire NOUN, ABL.SG.M, 3RD DECL
9 supposito placed underneath PTCP, ABL.SG.N, PERF.PASS
10 in as PREP+ACC
11 oblationem an offering NOUN, ACC.SG.F, 3RD DECL
12 suavissimi of a most sweet ADJ, GEN.SG.M, SUPER
13 odoris fragrance NOUN, GEN.SG.M, 3RD DECL
14 Domino to the LORD NOUN, DAT.SG.M, 2ND DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: adolebuntque ea super altare — “and they shall burn these things upon the altar,” with the priests as implied subject.
Designation Phrase: in holocaustum — identifies the act as a whole burnt offering.
Instrumental/Modal Phrase: lignis igne supposito — indicates wood and fire arranged beneath the altar pieces.
Purpose/Result Phrase: in oblationem suavissimi odoris Domino — specifies that the ascent is an offering of a most sweet fragrance to the LORD.

Morphology

  1. adolebuntque — Lemma: adoleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they shall burn; Notes: describes priestly combustion of sacrificial fat.
  2. ea — Lemma: is (ea, id); Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: these things; Notes: refers to the visceral parts previously listed.
  3. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses spatial placement; Translation: upon; Notes: common sacrificial preposition.
  4. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to bronze altar in the court.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses designation; Translation: as; Notes: marks the type of offering.
  6. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: prepositional object; Translation: a burnt offering; Notes: signifies complete consumption by fire.
  7. lignis — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: instrumental ablative; Translation: with wood; Notes: refers to fuel for the altar fire.
  8. igne — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: fire; Notes: fire is divinely appointed instrument of consumption.
  9. supposito — Lemma: suppono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: modifies ignis (ablative absolute–like construction); Translation: placed underneath; Notes: describes arrangement of fire and wood.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses designation; Translation: as; Notes: introduces sacrificial purpose.
  11. oblationem — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: offering; Notes: technical term for a sacrificial presentation.
  12. suavissimi — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine superlative; Function: modifies odoris; Translation: of a most sweet; Notes: expresses superlative degree of fragrance.
  13. odoris — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive dependent on oblationem; Translation: fragrance; Notes: technical cultic expression denoting divine acceptance.
  14. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH, requiring “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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