Numeri 15:4 (Numbers 15:4)

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 15:4 offeret quicumque immolaverit victimam, sacrificium similæ, decimam partem ephi, conspersæ oleo, quod mensuram habebit quartam partem hin:

he shall offer, whoever shall have sacrificed a victim, a sacrifice of fine flour, a tenth part of an ephah, mixed with oil, which shall have the measure of a fourth part of a hin;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 offeret he shall offer 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 quicumque whoever NOM.SG.M.INDEF.PRON
3 immolaverit shall have sacrificed 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 victimam victim ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL.OBJ
5 sacrificium sacrifice ACC.SG.N.2ND DECL.OBJ
6 similæ of fine flour GEN.SG.F.1ST DECL
7 decimam tenth ACC.SG.F.ADJ
8 partem part ACC.SG.F.3RD DECL
9 ephi of ephah GEN.SG.N.INDECL
10 conspersæ mixed GEN.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
11 oleo with oil ABL.SG.N.2ND DECL
12 quod which NOM.SG.N.REL.PRON
13 mensuram measure ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL.OBJ
14 habebit shall have 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 quartam fourth ACC.SG.F.ADJ
16 partem part ACC.SG.F.3RD DECL
17 hin hin GEN.SG.N.INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: offeret serves as the main verb, with quicumque immolaverit forming a relative clause describing the subject “whoever shall have sacrificed.”

Direct Objects: sacrificium is the primary object, further specified by similæ and decimam partem ephi.

Participial Phrase: conspersæ oleo modifies similæ, describing the preparation of the offering.

Relative Clause: quod habebit mensuram quartam partem hin explains the exact measurement of the offering.

Morphology

  1. offeret — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: he shall offer; Notes: The future tense expresses a legal prescription to be followed in ritual practice.
  2. quicumque — Lemma: quicumque; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: whoever; Notes: The form generalizes the instruction to any individual performing the sacrifice.
  3. immolaverit — Lemma: immolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: shall have sacrificed; Notes: The future perfect marks the action as completed prior to the offering described by offeret.
  4. victimam — Lemma: victima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: direct object of immolaverit; Translation: victim; Notes: Refers to the animal presented for sacrifice.
  5. sacrificium — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter second declension; Function: direct object of offeret; Translation: sacrifice; Notes: Specifies the accompanying offering distinct from the animal victim.
  6. similæ — Lemma: simila; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine first declension; Function: genitive modifying sacrificium; Translation: of fine flour; Notes: Indicates the material of the offering, fine wheat flour used in ritual contexts.
  7. decimam — Lemma: decimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies partem; Translation: tenth; Notes: Establishes the precise fractional quantity required.
  8. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine third declension; Function: object within the measurement phrase; Translation: part; Notes: Functions with decimam to define a measured portion.
  9. ephi — Lemma: ephi; Part of Speech: indeclinable noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: of ephah; Notes: A Hebrew unit of dry measure retained in Latin transliteration.
  10. conspersæ — Lemma: conspergo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: genitive singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies similæ; Translation: mixed; Notes: Indicates that the flour has been thoroughly mingled with oil.
  11. oleo — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter second declension; Function: ablative of means with conspersæ; Translation: with oil; Notes: Specifies the substance used in preparing the offering.
  12. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to the measure or portion described.
  13. mensuram — Lemma: mensura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine first declension; Function: direct object of habebit; Translation: measure; Notes: Emphasizes the regulated quantity of the offering.
  14. habebit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: shall have; Notes: Expresses the defined standard of the measure.
  15. quartam — Lemma: quartus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies partem; Translation: fourth; Notes: Specifies the fractional division of the hin measure.
  16. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine third declension; Function: object within the measurement phrase; Translation: part; Notes: Repeats the structural pattern of fractional measurement.
  17. hin — Lemma: hin; Part of Speech: indeclinable noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: of a hin; Notes: A liquid measure used in ritual prescriptions, retained as a loanword.

 

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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