Numeri 28:2 (Numbers 28:2)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:2 Præcipe filiis Israel, et dices ad eos: Oblationem meam et panes, et incensum odoris suavissimi offerte per tempora sua.

“Command the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘My offering, and the bread, and the incense of a most pleasing aroma, offer at their appointed times.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Præcipe command 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 filiis to sons DAT.PL.M
3 Israel Israel INDECL
4 et and CONJ
5 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 ad to PREP+ACC
7 eos them ACC.PL.M
8 Oblationem offering ACC.SG.F
9 meam my POSS.ACC.SG.F
10 et and CONJ
11 panes bread ACC.PL.M
12 et and CONJ
13 incensum incense ACC.SG.N
14 odoris of aroma GEN.SG.M
15 suavissimi most pleasing GEN.SG.M.SUPER
16 offerte offer 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
17 per at PREP+ACC
18 tempora times ACC.PL.N
19 sua their POSS.ACC.PL.N

Syntax

First Imperative Clause: Præcipe filiis Israel — Præcipe is the imperative verb and filiis Israel identifies those who are to receive the command.

Second Clause: et dices ad eos — instructs Moyses to communicate the divine words directly to the people.

Direct Speech Command: Oblationem meam et panes et incensum odoris suavissimi offerte — the LORD commands Israel to present the prescribed sacrificial offerings.

Genitive Phrase: odoris suavissimi — modifies incensum, describing the incense as possessing a most pleasing fragrance.

Temporal Phrase: per tempora sua — specifies that the offerings are to be presented at their appointed times.

Cultic Emphasis: The verse introduces the regulations concerning Israel’s regular sacrificial worship and emphasizes faithful observance according to the appointed schedule.

Morphology

  1. Præcipe — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Main imperative verb; Translation: “command”; Notes: Directs Moyses to issue an authoritative instruction.
  2. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Indirect object of Præcipe; Translation: “to sons”; Notes: Refers to the people of Israel.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Genitive relationship reference; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Identifies the covenant nation.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two related instructions.
  5. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall say”; Notes: Introduces the words to be spoken to Israel.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces the recipients of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the audience.
  7. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the sons of Israel.
  8. Oblationem — Lemma: oblatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of offerte; Translation: “offering”; Notes: Refers to a sacrificial gift presented to God.
  9. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies Oblationem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates that the offering belongs to the LORD.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the sacrificial elements.
  11. panes — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Direct object of offerte; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Refers to bread associated with the offerings.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the list of offerings.
  13. incensum — Lemma: incensum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object of offerte; Translation: “incense”; Notes: Refers to the fragrant offering presented to God.
  14. odoris — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive modifying incensum; Translation: “of aroma”; Notes: Describes the fragrance associated with the offering.
  15. suavissimi — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine Superlative Degree; Function: Modifies odoris; Translation: “most pleasing”; Notes: Emphasizes the exceptional pleasantness of the aroma.
  16. offerte — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative 2nd Person Plural; Function: Main imperative verb of the direct speech; Translation: “offer”; Notes: Commands Israel to present the sacrifices.
  17. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces a temporal phrase; Translation: “at”; Notes: Indicates observance according to designated occasions.
  18. tempora — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Neuter; Function: Object of per; Translation: “times”; Notes: Refers to appointed seasons or occasions.
  19. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Accusative Plural Neuter; Function: Modifies tempora; Translation: “their”; Notes: Refers to the appointed times assigned to the offerings.

 

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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