Numeri 15:27 (Numbers 15:27)

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:27 Quod si anima una nesciens peccaverit, offeret capram anniculam pro peccato suo:

But if one soul shall have sinned unknowingly, it shall offer a one-year-old she-goat for its sin;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod but if CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 anima soul NOM.SG.F.1ST DECL
4 una one NOM.SG.F.NUM
5 nesciens unknowing NOM.SG.F.PRES.ACT.PTCP
6 peccaverit shall have sinned 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
7 offeret it shall offer 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 capram a she-goat ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL.OBJ
9 anniculam one-year-old ACC.SG.F.ADJ
10 pro for PREP+ABL
11 peccato sin ABL.SG.N.2ND DECL
12 suo its ABL.SG.N.POSS.PRON

Syntax

Conditional Clause: Quod si anima una nesciens peccaverit introduces the condition, “but if one soul shall have sinned unknowingly.”

Main Clause: offeret governs the direct object capram anniculam.

Participial Modifier: nesciens modifies anima, indicating lack of knowledge.

Purpose Phrase: pro peccato suo expresses the purpose of the offering.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces conditional nuance with si; Translation: but if; Notes: Strengthens the conditional expression.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating conjunction; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Marks hypothetical situation.
  3. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine first declension; Function: subject; Translation: soul; Notes: Refers to an individual person.
  4. una — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies anima; Translation: one; Notes: Emphasizes a single individual.
  5. nesciens — Lemma: nescio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine present active participle; Function: modifies anima; Translation: unknowing; Notes: Indicates lack of awareness.
  6. peccaverit — Lemma: pecco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: shall have sinned; Notes: Indicates completed future action.
  7. offeret — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: it shall offer; Notes: Prescribes required action.
  8. capram — Lemma: capra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: a she-goat; Notes: Specific sacrificial animal.
  9. anniculam — Lemma: anniculus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies capram; Translation: one-year-old; Notes: Specifies age requirement.
  10. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: for; Notes: Indicates substitution or purpose.
  11. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter second declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: sin; Notes: Refers to the offense requiring atonement.
  12. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies peccato; Translation: its; Notes: Refers back to the individual subject.

 

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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