Leviticus 8:18

Posted on April 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 8:18 Obtulit et arietem in holocaustum: super cuius caput cum imposuissent Aaron et filii eius manus suas,

And he offered the ram as a burnt offering; and when Aaron and his sons had placed their hands upon its head,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Obtulit offered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 arietem ram ACC.SG.M
4 in as PREP+ACC
5 holocaustum burnt offering ACC.SG.N
6 super upon PREP+ACC
7 cuius whose GEN.SG.M.REL
8 caput head ACC.SG.N
9 cum when CONJ
10 imposuissent had placed 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
11 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 filii sons NOM.PL.M
14 eius his GEN.SG.M.POSS
15 manus hands ACC.PL.F
16 suas their own ACC.PL.F.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: Obtulit — principal sacrificial action with implied subject Moses
Direct Object: arietem — the animal offered
Purpose Designation: in holocaustum — specifies the offering type as a whole burnt offering
Relative Reference: super cuius caput — refers back to arietem
Temporal Clause: cum imposuissent Aaron et filii eius manus suas — preparatory rite preceding slaughter
Compound Subject: Aaron et filii eius — joint ritual participants

Morphology

  1. Obtulit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: offered; Notes: Subject is contextually Moses acting as officiant.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links actions; Translation: and; Notes: Maintains narrative continuity.
  3. arietem — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular third declension; Function: direct object of Obtulit; Translation: ram; Notes: Animal designated for the burnt offering.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: expresses purpose or result; Translation: as; Notes: Indicates sacrificial classification.
  5. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: burnt offering; Notes: Offering wholly consumed on the altar.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: expresses position above; Translation: upon; Notes: Introduces the ritual gesture.
  7. cuius — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies caput with reference to arietem; Translation: whose; Notes: Links the action to the ram.
  8. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular third declension; Function: object of super; Translation: head; Notes: Locus of the hand-laying rite.
  9. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: Signals preparatory action.
  10. imposuissent — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the cum clause; Translation: had placed; Notes: Subjunctive reflects temporal subordination.
  11. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of imposuissent; Translation: Aaron; Notes: High priest acting with his sons.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates subjects; Translation: and; Notes: Joins Aaron with his sons.
  13. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine plural second declension; Function: subject coordinated with Aaron; Translation: sons; Notes: Participating priests.
  14. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies filii; Translation: his; Notes: Identifies the sons as Aaron’s.
  15. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural fourth declension; Function: direct object of imposuissent; Translation: hands; Notes: Ritual gesture of identification.
  16. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: modifies manus; Translation: their own; Notes: Reflexive possession referring to Aaron and his sons.

 

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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