Numeri 28:28 (Numbers 28:28)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:28 atque in sacrificiis eorum similæ oleo conspersæ tres decimas per singulos vitulos, per arietes duas,

and in their grain offerings, of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, and two tenths for the ram,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 atque and CONJ
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 sacrificiis grain-offerings ABL.PL.N
4 eorum their GEN.PL.M
5 similæ of-fine-flour GEN.SG.F
6 oleo with-oil ABL.SG.N
7 conspersæ mixed GEN.SG.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
8 tres three ACC.PL.F
9 decimas tenths ACC.PL.F
10 per for PREP+ACC
11 singulos each ACC.PL.M
12 vitulos bulls ACC.PL.M
13 per for PREP+ACC
14 arietes rams ACC.PL.M
15 duas two ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase: in sacrificiis eorum — introduces the accompanying grain offerings belonging to the sacrificial animals.

Genitive Construction: similæ oleo conspersæ — describes the grain offering as consisting of fine flour mixed with oil.

Measure Specification: tres decimas per singulos vitulos — prescribes three tenths for each bull.

Measure Specification: per arietes duas — prescribes two tenths for the ram(s), with decimas understood from the preceding phrase.

Ellipsis: The noun decimas is omitted after duas but is understood from the immediately preceding measure expression.

Morphology

  1. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects this requirement with the preceding sacrificial instructions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces additional details concerning the offerings.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the ablative; Function: Introduces the sphere or context; Translation: “in”; Notes: Refers to the accompanying grain offerings.
  3. sacrificiis — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: “grain offerings”; Notes: Refers to the cereal offerings accompanying the animals.
  4. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “their”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial animals previously listed.
  5. similæ — Lemma: simila; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine, 1st Declension; Function: Genitive of material; Translation: “of fine flour”; Notes: Specifies the substance of the grain offering.
  6. oleo — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “with oil”; Notes: Indicates the ingredient mixed into the flour.
  7. conspersæ — Lemma: conspergo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect passive participle, genitive singular feminine; Function: Modifies similæ; Translation: “mixed”; Notes: Describes the flour as having been mingled with oil.
  8. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies decimas; Translation: “three”; Notes: Specifies the quantity prescribed.
  9. decimas — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: Noun used numerically; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Measure expression; Translation: “tenths”; Notes: Refers to tenth portions of an ephah.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Expresses distribution; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates allocation according to each animal.
  11. singulos — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies vitulos; Translation: “each”; Notes: Emphasizes individual distribution.
  12. vitulos — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of per; Translation: “bulls”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial bulls.
  13. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Expresses distribution; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the next measure specification.
  14. arietes — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, 3rd Declension; Function: Object of per; Translation: “rams”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial rams.
  15. duas — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies an understood decimas; Translation: “two”; Notes: The noun “tenths” is understood from the preceding phrase.

 

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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