Numeri 29:5 (Numbers 29:5)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:5 et hircum pro peccato, qui offertur in expiationem populi,

and a goat for sin, which is offered for the atonement of the people,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 hircum goat ACC.SG.M
3 pro for PREP+ABL
4 peccato sin ABL.SG.N
5 qui which NOM.SG.M.REL
6 offertur is offered 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
7 in for PREP+ACC
8 expiationem atonement ACC.SG.F
9 populi of the people GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Elliptical Continuation: et hircum pro peccato continues the sacrificial list from the preceding verses, with the principal verb understood from the earlier context.

Prepositional Phrase: pro peccato modifies hircum, indicating that the goat is designated as a sin offering.

Relative Clause: qui offertur in expiationem populi further describes the goat. qui is the subject, offertur is the passive verb, and in expiationem populi expresses the purpose of the offering.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects this offering to the preceding list; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of sacrificial regulations.
  2. hircum — Lemma: hircus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Sacrificial item in the offering list; Translation: “goat”; Notes: Refers to the animal prescribed for the sin offering.
  3. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Ablative; Function: Introduces purpose or substitution phrase; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates the offering’s relation to sin.
  4. peccato — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of pro; Translation: “sin”; Notes: Denotes the offense for which atonement is sought.
  5. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to hircum.
  6. offertur — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third Person Singular Present Passive Indicative; Function: Main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “is offered”; Notes: Describes the ritual presentation of the sacrifice.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the Accusative; Function: Introduces purpose phrase; Translation: “for”; Notes: Expresses the intended result of the offering.
  8. expiationem — Lemma: expiatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “atonement”; Notes: Refers to ritual removal of guilt and purification.
  9. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive dependent on expiationem; Translation: “of the people”; Notes: Identifies those on whose behalf the atonement is made.

 

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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