Numeri 29:13 (Numbers 29:13)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:13 offeretisque holocaustum in odorem suavissimum Domino, vitulos de armento tredecim, arietes duos, agnos anniculos immaculatos quattuordecim:

And you shall offer a holocaust as a most pleasing aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls from the herd, two rams, and fourteen spotless yearling lambs.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 offeretisque and you shall offer 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
2 holocaustum burnt offering ACC.SG.N
3 in as / for PREP+ACC
4 odorem aroma ACC.SG.M
5 suavissimum most pleasing ACC.SG.M.SUPER
6 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
7 vitulos bulls ACC.PL.M
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 armento herd ABL.SG.N
10 tredecim thirteen INDECL
11 arietes rams ACC.PL.M
12 duos two ACC.PL.M
13 agnos lambs ACC.PL.M
14 anniculos yearling ACC.PL.M
15 immaculatos spotless ACC.PL.M
16 quattuordecim fourteen INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: offeretisque is the principal verb with an implied second-person plural subject. holocaustum is the direct object.

Purpose Phrase: in odorem suavissimum Domino expresses the acceptability of the sacrifice before the LORD, literally “as a most pleasing aroma to the LORD.”

Specification of the Offering: vitulos de armento tredecim, arietes duos, and agnos anniculos immaculatos quattuordecim stand in apposition to holocaustum, specifying the sacrificial animals required for the feast.

Morphology

  1. offeretisque — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Second Person Plural Future Active Indicative with enclitic conjunction -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and you shall offer”; Notes: Continues the sacrificial instructions from the preceding regulations.
  2. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object; Translation: “holocaust”; Notes: Refers to a sacrifice wholly consumed upon the altar.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Accusative; Function: Introduces purpose phrase; Translation: “as”; Notes: Indicates the intended result or character of the offering.
  4. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “aroma”; Notes: A common sacrificial expression denoting divine acceptance.
  5. suavissimum — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine Superlative Degree; Function: Modifies odorem; Translation: “most pleasing”; Notes: The superlative emphasizes exceptional acceptability.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Dative of reference; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the recipient of the offering.
  7. vitulos — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: First sacrificial item; Translation: “bulls”; Notes: The largest animals prescribed in this offering.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Ablative; Function: Introduces source phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Specifies the category from which the animals are taken.
  9. armento — Lemma: armentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of de; Translation: “herd”; Notes: Refers to domesticated cattle.
  10. tredecim — Lemma: tredecim; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable Cardinal Number; Function: Modifies vitulos; Translation: “thirteen”; Notes: Specifies the required number of bulls.
  11. arietes — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Second sacrificial item; Translation: “rams”; Notes: Mature male sheep offered in sacrifice.
  12. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies arietes; Translation: “two”; Notes: Specifies the required number of rams.
  13. agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Third sacrificial item; Translation: “lambs”; Notes: Refers to young sheep suitable for sacrifice.
  14. anniculos — Lemma: anniculus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “yearling”; Notes: Indicates that the lambs are one year old.
  15. immaculatos — Lemma: immaculatus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “spotless”; Notes: Denotes freedom from physical defect.
  16. quattuordecim — Lemma: quattuordecim; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable Cardinal Number; Function: Modifies agnos; Translation: “fourteen”; Notes: Specifies the required number of lambs.

 

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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