Leviticus 3:6

Posted on April 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 3:6 Si vero de ovibus fuerit eius oblatio et pacificorum hostia, sive masculum obtulerit, sive feminam, immaculata erunt.

But if his offering is from the sheep, and a sacrifice of peace offerings, whether he offers a male or a female, they shall be without blemish.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 vero however ADV
3 de from PREP+ABL
4 ovibus sheep NOUN, ABL.PL.F, 3RD DECL
5 fuerit shall be VERB, 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
6 eius his PRON, GEN.SG.M/N, POSS
7 oblatio offering NOUN, NOM.SG.F, 3RD DECL
8 et and CONJ
9 pacificorum of peace offerings ADJ, GEN.PL.M/N, POS
10 hostia sacrifice NOUN, NOM.SG.F, 1ST DECL
11 sive whether CONJ
12 masculum a male NOUN, ACC.SG.M, 2ND DECL
13 obtulerit he offers VERB, 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
14 sive or CONJ
15 feminam a female NOUN, ACC.SG.F, 1ST DECL
16 immaculata without blemish ADJ, NOM.PL.N, POS
17 erunt they shall be VERB, 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Conditional Clause: Si vero de ovibus fuerit eius oblatio — introduces the case where the offering comes from sheep.
Coordinated Noun Phrase: et pacificorum hostia — identifies it specifically as a peace offering.
Disjunctive Options: sive masculum obtulerit, sive feminam — presents either sex as acceptable for sacrifice.
Main Predicate: immaculata erunt — requires that male or female animals be without blemish.
Agreement: immaculata is neuter plural, agreeing with the implied neuter plural “animalia.”

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: if; Notes: marks ritual case distinction.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds contrast; Translation: however; Notes: softens transition to new condition.
  3. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: identifies species of sacrificial animal.
  4. ovibus — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: sheep; Notes: includes both ewes and rams.
  5. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of protasis; Translation: shall be; Notes: legal formula.
  6. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: possessive; Translation: his; Notes: belongs to the offerer.
  7. oblatio — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: offering; Notes: refers to sacrificial gift.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates nouns; Translation: and; Notes: links oblatio and hostia.
  9. pacificorum — Lemma: pacificus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine/neuter; Function: modifies hostia; Translation: of peace offerings; Notes: identifies sacrificial category.
  10. hostia — Lemma: hostia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: sacrifice; Notes: explains the nature of the offering.
  11. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces first option; Translation: whether; Notes: used in disjunctive pairs.
  12. masculum — Lemma: masculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: a male; Notes: animals of either sex are acceptable.
  13. obtulerit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: he offers; Notes: legal-procedural phrasing.
  14. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces second option; Translation: or; Notes: parallels the previous sive.
  15. feminam — Lemma: femina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: a female; Notes: acceptable sex for peace offerings.
  16. immaculata — Lemma: immaculatus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: without blemish; Notes: agrees with implied neuter plural “sacrificial animals.”
  17. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall be; Notes: expresses required condition of ritual purity.

 

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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