Numeri 28:3 (Numbers 28:3)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:3 Hæc sunt sacrificia quæ offerre debetis: Agnos anniculos immaculatos duos quotidie in holocaustum sempiternum:

These are the sacrifices which you must offer: two unblemished year-old lambs each day as a perpetual burnt offering.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these NOM.PL.N
2 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 sacrificia sacrifices NOM.PL.N
4 quæ which REL.ACC.PL.N
5 offerre to offer INF.PRES.ACT
6 debetis you must 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 Agnos lambs ACC.PL.M
8 anniculos year-old ACC.PL.M
9 immaculatos unblemished ACC.PL.M
10 duos two ACC.PL.M
11 quotidie daily ADV
12 in as PREP+ACC
13 holocaustum burnt offering ACC.SG.N
14 sempiternum perpetual ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Identification Clause: Hæc sunt sacrificia — identifies the offerings that are about to be prescribed.

Relative Clause: quæ offerre debetis — modifies sacrificia and specifies the sacrifices that Israel is obligated to present.

Infinitive Construction: offerre debetis — expresses obligation, “you must offer.”

Sacrificial Specification: Agnos anniculos immaculatos duos — describes the required animals: two lambs, one year old, and without blemish.

Temporal Modifier: quotidie — indicates that the sacrifice is to be offered every day.

Purpose / Designation Phrase: in holocaustum sempiternum — specifies that the lambs are offered as a perpetual burnt offering.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Plural Neuter; Function: Subject of sunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Introduces the sacrificial regulations that follow.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Plural; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links the subject with its identification.
  3. sacrificia — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Plural Neuter; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “sacrifices”; Notes: Refers to the offerings prescribed by the LORD.
  4. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Accusative Plural Neuter; Function: Direct object of offerre; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to sacrificia.
  5. offerre — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with debetis; Translation: “to offer”; Notes: Expresses the action required of Israel.
  6. debetis — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 2nd Person Plural; Function: Main verb of obligation; Translation: “you must”; Notes: Expresses duty and requirement.
  7. Agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Direct object understood with offerre; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: The animals prescribed for the daily offering.
  8. anniculos — Lemma: anniculus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies Agnos; Translation: “year-old”; Notes: Specifies the age requirement of the lambs.
  9. immaculatos — Lemma: immaculatus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies Agnos; Translation: “unblemished”; Notes: Indicates that the animals must be free from defect.
  10. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Quantifies Agnos; Translation: “two”; Notes: Specifies the required number of lambs.
  11. quotidie — Lemma: quotidie; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal modifier; Translation: “daily”; Notes: Indicates continual observance.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces designation or purpose; Translation: “as”; Notes: Describes the sacrificial role of the lambs.
  13. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “burnt offering”; Notes: Refers to an offering wholly consumed by fire.
  14. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies holocaustum; Translation: “perpetual”; Notes: Emphasizes the ongoing and continual nature of 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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