Numeri 28:15 (Numbers 28:15)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:15 Hircus quoque offeretur Domino pro peccatis in holocaustum sempiternum cum libamentis suis.

A he-goat also shall be offered to the LORD for sins, in addition to the perpetual burnt offering with its drink offerings.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hircus he-goat NOM.SG.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 offeretur shall-be-offered 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
4 Domino to-the-LORD DAT.SG.M
5 pro for PREP+ABL
6 peccatis sins ABL.PL.N
7 in in-addition-to PREP+ACC
8 holocaustum burnt-offering ACC.SG.N
9 sempiternum perpetual ACC.SG.N
10 cum with PREP+ABL
11 libamentis drink-offerings ABL.PL.N
12 suis its ABL.PL.N.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: Hircus (subject) + offeretur (verb) + Domino (dative recipient).

Purpose Phrase: pro peccatis — prepositional phrase expressing the sacrificial purpose, namely for sins.

Prepositional Phrase: in holocaustum sempiternum — indicates relation to the perpetual burnt offering, functioning idiomatically as an accompanying or additional offering.

Accompanying Phrase: cum libamentis suis — specifies that the offering is presented together with its prescribed drink offerings.

Morphology

  1. Hircus — Lemma: hircus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Subject of the main clause; Translation: “he-goat”; Notes: Refers to the goat appointed as the sin offering.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds emphasis or inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates an additional requirement alongside the other sacrifices.
  3. offeretur — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future passive indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “shall be offered”; Notes: Expresses a prescribed future ritual action.
  4. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Dative of recipient; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the recipient of the sacrifice.
  5. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the ablative; Function: Introduces purpose or substitution; Translation: “for”; Notes: Commonly used in sacrificial contexts to indicate the matter addressed by the offering.
  6. peccatis — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of pro; Translation: “sins”; Notes: Specifies the reason for the sin offering.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Introduces relation or addition; Translation: “in addition to”; Notes: Connects the sin offering with the regular burnt offering.
  8. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: “burnt offering”; Notes: Refers to the regular offering wholly consumed by fire.
  9. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies holocaustum; Translation: “perpetual”; Notes: Describes the continual nature of the offering.
  10. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the ablative; Function: Introduces accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Indicates associated ritual elements.
  11. libamentis — Lemma: libamentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “drink offerings”; Notes: Refers to the prescribed liquid offerings poured out before the LORD.
  12. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive Adjective; Form: Ablative plural neuter; Function: Modifies libamentis; Translation: “its”; Notes: Refers back to the accompanying drink offerings belonging to the sacrifice.

 

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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