Numeri 28:6 (Numbers 28:6)

Posted on May 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 28:6 holocaustum iuge est quod obtulistis in monte Sinai in odorem suavissimum incensi Domini.

It is the continual burnt offering which you offered on Mount Sinai, as a most pleasing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 holocaustum burnt offering NOM.SG.N
2 iuge continual NOM.SG.N
3 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 quod which REL.ACC.SG.N
5 obtulistis you offered 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
6 in on PREP+ABL
7 monte mount ABL.SG.M
8 Sinai Sinai INDECL
9 in as PREP+ACC
10 odorem aroma ACC.SG.M
11 suavissimum most pleasing ACC.SG.M.SUPER
12 incensi offering by fire GEN.SG.N
13 Domini LORD GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: holocaustum iuge est — identifies the sacrifice as the continual burnt offering.

Relative Clause: quod obtulistis in monte Sinai — modifies holocaustum iuge and recalls the sacrificial practice established at Mount Sinai.

Prepositional Phrase: in monte Sinai — specifies the historical location associated with the offering.

Purpose / Description Phrase: in odorem suavissimum — describes the offering as producing a most pleasing aroma.

Genitive Phrase: incensi Domini — identifies the offering as belonging to and directed toward the LORD.

Cultic Significance: The verse links the daily sacrifice in the land with the sacrificial pattern originally established at Sinai, emphasizing continuity in Israel’s worship.

Morphology

  1. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Neuter; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “burnt offering”; Notes: Refers to an offering wholly consumed upon the altar.
  2. iuge — Lemma: iugis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies holocaustum; Translation: “continual”; Notes: Emphasizes the unceasing and regular nature of the offering.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links the subject with its description.
  4. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object of obtulistis; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to holocaustum.
  5. obtulistis — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 2nd Person Plural; Function: Verb of the relative clause; Translation: “you offered”; Notes: Refers to Israel’s presentation of the sacrifice.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the ablative; Function: Introduces a location; Translation: “on”; Notes: Marks the geographical setting.
  7. monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “mount”; Notes: Refers to Mount Sinai.
  8. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies monte; Translation: “Sinai”; Notes: The mountain where the covenant legislation was given.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Indeclinable preposition governing the accusative; Function: Introduces a descriptive phrase; Translation: “as”; Notes: Describes the sacrificial result or character.
  10. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “aroma”; Notes: A common sacrificial expression signifying divine acceptance.
  11. suavissimum — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine Superlative Degree; Function: Modifies odorem; Translation: “most pleasing”; Notes: Intensifies the pleasantness of the aroma.
  12. incensi — Lemma: incensum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Neuter; Function: Genitive modifying odorem; Translation: “offering by fire”; Notes: Refers to that which is consumed upon the altar by fire.
  13. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive modifying incensi; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Identifies the recipient and owner of the sacrifice as YHWH.

 

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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