Numeri 29:8 (Numbers 29:8)

Posted on May 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 29:8 Offeretisque holocaustum Domino in odorem suavissimum, vitulum de armento unum, arietem unum, agnos anniculos immaculatos septem:

And you shall offer a holocaust to the LORD as a most pleasing aroma: one young bull from the herd, one ram, and seven 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 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
4 in as / for PREP+ACC
5 odorem aroma ACC.SG.M
6 suavissimum most pleasing ACC.SG.M.SUPER
7 vitulum young bull ACC.SG.M
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 armento herd ABL.SG.N
10 unum one ACC.SG.M
11 arietem ram ACC.SG.M
12 unum one ACC.SG.M
13 agnos lambs ACC.PL.M
14 anniculos yearling ACC.PL.M
15 immaculatos spotless ACC.PL.M
16 septem seven INDECL

Syntax

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

Dative Phrase: Domino is a dative of reference identifying the recipient of the sacrifice.

Purpose Phrase: in odorem suavissimum expresses the intended acceptability of the offering, literally “for a most pleasing aroma.”

Specification of the Offering: vitulum de armento unum, arietem unum, and agnos anniculos immaculatos septem stand in apposition to holocaustum, specifying the animals that comprise the burnt offering.

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: The enclitic -que joins this command to the preceding instructions.
  2. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object of Offeretisque; Translation: “holocaust”; Notes: Refers to a sacrifice wholly consumed upon the altar.
  3. 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 sacrifice.
  4. 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.
  5. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “aroma”; Notes: A standard sacrificial expression denoting divine acceptance.
  6. suavissimum — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine Superlative Degree; Function: Modifies odorem; Translation: “most pleasing”; Notes: The superlative intensifies the acceptability of the sacrifice.
  7. vitulum — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: First sacrificial animal listed; Translation: “young bull”; Notes: Represents the largest animal in the 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 animal is 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. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: Numeral Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies vitulum; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies the required quantity.
  11. arietem — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Second sacrificial animal listed; Translation: “ram”; Notes: Refers to a mature male sheep used in sacrificial worship.
  12. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: Numeral Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies arietem; Translation: “one”; Notes: Specifies the required number of rams.
  13. agnos — Lemma: agnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Third sacrificial animal listed; 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: Specifies 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: Indicates freedom from physical defect.
  16. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable Cardinal Number; Function: Quantifies agnos; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Completes the prescribed number of lambs for the offering.

 

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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