Numeri 29:3 (Numbers 29:3)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:3 et in sacrificiis eorum similæ oleo conspersæ tres decimas per singulos vitulos, duas decimas per arietem,

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

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 sacrificiis grain offerings ABL.PL.N
4 eorum their GEN.PL.POSS
5 similæ 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 each PREP+ACC
11 singulos each ACC.PL.M
12 vitulos bulls ACC.PL.M
13 duas two ACC.PL.F
14 decimas tenths ACC.PL.F
15 per for PREP+ACC
16 arietem ram ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Elliptical Continuation: This verse continues the sacrificial instructions from the preceding verse. The principal noun phrase is tres decimas and duas decimas, with the implied sense of “offer” carried over from the previous context.

Prepositional Phrase: in sacrificiis eorum functions as a locative/contextual phrase referring to the accompanying grain offerings belonging to the sacrificial animals.

Genitive Construction: similæ oleo conspersæ describes the substance being measured, literally “of fine flour mixed with oil.” The participle conspersæ agrees with similæ.

Distribution Phrases: per singulos vitulos and per arietem indicate the quantity assigned to each sacrificial animal.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects this instruction with the preceding sacrificial regulations; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of offerings.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Ablative; Function: Introduces a contextual phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates the sphere or context of the offerings.
  3. sacrificiis — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Plural Neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “grain offerings”; Notes: Refers to the cereal offerings accompanying animal sacrifices.
  4. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Genitive Plural; Function: Possessive modifier of sacrificiis; Translation: “their”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial animals mentioned previously.
  5. similæ — Lemma: simila; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Genitive of material; Translation: “fine flour”; Notes: A high-quality flour commonly used in grain offerings.
  6. oleo — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Ablative of means with the participle; Translation: “with oil”; Notes: Specifies the substance 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 flour that has been mingled with oil.
  8. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Modifies decimas; Translation: “three”; Notes: Specifies the required quantity.
  9. decimas — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: Numeral Substantive; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Measured quantity; Translation: “tenths”; Notes: Refers to tenths of an ephah in sacrificial legislation.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Accusative; Function: Introduces distributive phrase; Translation: “for each”; Notes: Distributes the quantity individually.
  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; Function: Object of per; Translation: “bulls”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial bulls receiving this measure.
  13. duas — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Modifies decimas; Translation: “two”; Notes: Specifies a smaller quantity than that assigned to the bulls.
  14. decimas — Lemma: decima; Part of Speech: Numeral Substantive; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Measured quantity; Translation: “tenths”; Notes: Indicates the grain-offering amount assigned to the ram.
  15. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Accusative; Function: Introduces distributive phrase; Translation: “for”; Notes: Marks allocation according to sacrificial animal.
  16. arietem — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of per; Translation: “ram”; Notes: Refers to the ram named in the preceding sacrificial list.

 

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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