Numeri 28:30 (Numbers 28:30)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:30 qui mactatur pro expiatione: præter holocaustum sempiternum et liba eius.

which is slaughtered for atonement, besides the perpetual burnt offering and its drink offerings.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 qui which REL.NOM.SG.M
2 mactatur is-slaughtered 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
3 pro for PREP+ABL
4 expiatione atonement ABL.SG.F
5 præter besides PREP+ACC
6 holocaustum burnt-offering ACC.SG.N
7 sempiternum perpetual ACC.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 liba drink-offerings ACC.PL.N
10 eius its GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Relative Clause: qui mactatur pro expiatione — modifies the previously mentioned hircum, identifying the he-goat as the one slaughtered for atonement.

Purpose Phrase: pro expiatione — expresses the purpose of the sacrifice, namely the making of atonement.

Prepositional Phrase: præter holocaustum sempiternum — indicates that this sacrifice is offered in addition to the perpetual burnt offering.

Coordinated Object: et liba eius — adds the accompanying drink offerings belonging to the perpetual burnt offering.

Morphology

  1. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to the previously mentioned he-goat.
  2. mactatur — Lemma: macto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present passive indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “is slaughtered”; Notes: A technical sacrificial term referring to ritual killing.
  3. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the ablative; Function: Introduces purpose or representation; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates the sacrificial objective.
  4. expiatione — Lemma: expiatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine, 3rd Declension; Function: Object of pro; Translation: “atonement”; Notes: Refers to the removal of guilt or ritual impurity.
  5. præter — Lemma: præter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Introduces addition or exception; Translation: “besides”; Notes: Indicates that this offering does not replace the regular sacrifice.
  6. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Object of præter; Translation: “burnt offering”; Notes: Refers to the offering wholly consumed on the altar.
  7. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies holocaustum; Translation: “perpetual”; Notes: Describes the continual daily offering.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects coordinated objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds the drink offerings to the reference.
  9. liba — Lemma: libum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter, 2nd Declension; Function: Coordinated object with holocaustum; Translation: “drink offerings”; Notes: Refers to the prescribed liquid offerings accompanying the sacrifice.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular; Function: Possessive genitive modifying liba; Translation: “its”; Notes: Refers to the perpetual burnt offering and its associated drink 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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