Leviticus 4:21

Posted on April 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 4:21 Ipsum autem vitulum efferet extra castra, atque comburet sicut et priorem vitulum: quia est pro peccato multitudinis.

But the bull itself he shall carry outside the camp, and he shall burn it just as the former bull; for it is for the sin of the multitude.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ipsum the… itself PRON/ADJ, ACC.SG.M/N, DEM/EMPH
2 autem but ADV
3 vitulum bull NOUN, ACC.SG.M, 2ND DECL
4 efferet he shall carry out VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 extra outside PREP+ACC
6 castra camp NOUN, ACC.PL.N, 2ND DECL
7 atque and also CONJ
8 comburnet he shall burn VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 sicut just as CONJ
10 et also CONJ
11 priorem former ADJ, ACC.SG.M/F, CMPR
12 vitulum bull NOUN, ACC.SG.M, 2ND DECL
13 quia because CONJ
14 est is VERB, 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 pro for PREP+ABL
16 peccato sin NOUN, ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL
17 multitudinis of the multitude NOUN, GEN.SG.F, 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Ipsum… vitulum efferet extra castra — direct object + future verb + prepositional phrase describing removal outside the camp.
Main Clause 2: atque comburet sicut et priorem vitulum — coordinated action comparing the burning to the treatment of the previous bull.
Causal Clause: quia est pro peccato multitudinis — explains the ritual’s purpose: atonement for the community.

Morphology

  1. Ipsum — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative/emphatic adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine/neuter; Function: emphatically modifies vitulum; Translation: the… itself; Notes: stresses that the same bull is being removed.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: contrastive marker; Translation: but; Notes: shifts to disposal procedure.
  3. vitulum — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of efferet; Translation: bull; Notes: sacrificial animal.
  4. efferet — Lemma: effero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall carry out; Notes: disposal outside sacred boundary.
  5. extra — Lemma: extra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates movement beyond; Translation: outside; Notes: defines limit of camp.
  6. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of extra; Translation: camp; Notes: plural form used for a military-style encampment.
  7. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: strong connector; Translation: and also; Notes: heightens connection to previous action.
  8. comburnet — Lemma: comburo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall burn; Notes: total destruction outside the camp.
  9. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: just as; Notes: parallels earlier sacrifice.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: additional emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: indicates correspondence.
  11. priorem — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine/feminine, comparative; Function: modifies vitulum; Translation: former; Notes: refers to previous sin-offering bull.
  12. vitulum — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of implicit verb (burn); Translation: bull; Notes: identifies earlier sacrificial animal.
  13. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: theological rationale.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: is; Notes: links subject and predicate.
  15. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates purpose; Translation: for; Notes: marks sacrificial purpose.
  16. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: sin; Notes: denotes communal offense.
  17. multitudinis — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies peccato; Translation: of the multitude; Notes: refers to the whole congregation.

 

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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