Leviticus 5:3

Posted on April 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 5:3 et si tetigerit quidquam de immunditia hominis iuxta omnem impuritatem, qua pollui solet, oblitaque cognoverit postea, subiacebit delicto.

and if she touches anything of human uncleanness, according to any impurity by which one is usually defiled, and having forgotten, later has realized it, she shall be subject to guilt.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 tetigerit has touched VERB, 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
4 quidquam anything PRON, ACC.SG.N, INDEF
5 de from / of PREP+ABL
6 immunditia uncleanness NOUN, ABL.SG.F
7 hominis of a human NOUN, GEN.SG.M
8 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
9 omnem every ADJ, ACC.SG.F
10 impuritatem impurity NOUN, ACC.SG.F
11 qua by which PRON, ABL.SG.F, REL
12 pollui to be defiled VERB, PRES.PASS.INF
13 solet is accustomed VERB, 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 oblitaque and having forgotten PTCP, PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.F + ENCLITIC -que
15 cognoverit has realized VERB, 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
16 postea afterwards ADV
17 subiacebit shall be subject VERB, 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 delicto to guilt NOUN, DAT.SG.N

Syntax

The sentence begins with a conditional:
et si tetigerit quidquam de immunditia hominis — condition involving contact with human uncleanness.
iuxta omnem impuritatem qua pollui solet — qualifying clause describing the nature of the impurity.
oblitaque cognoverit postea — second condition: forgotten but later realized.
subiacebit delicto — future consequence expressing liability.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: clause connector; Translation: and; Notes: links with previous ruling.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces conditional; Translation: if; Notes: legal case structure.
  3. tetigerit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of condition; Translation: has touched; Notes: completed action relevant to impurity.
  4. quidquam — Lemma: quidquam; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of tetigerit; Translation: anything; Notes: strongly indefinite.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: partitive sense; Translation: of; Notes: expresses type of uncleanness.
  6. immunditia — Lemma: immunditia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: uncleanness; Notes: ritual impurity category.
  7. hominis — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: specifies source; Translation: of a human; Notes: distinct from animal impurity.
  8. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: standard of comparison; Translation: according to; Notes: normative phrase.
  9. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies impuritatem; Translation: every; Notes: comprehensive legal coverage.
  10. impuritatem — Lemma: impuritas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: impurity; Notes: ritual uncleanness.
  11. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: by which; Notes: refers to impuritatem.
  12. pollui — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complement of solet; Translation: to be defiled; Notes: generic expression of customary defilement.
  13. solet — Lemma: soleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: expresses customary action; Translation: is accustomed; Notes: legal formula.
  14. oblitaque — Lemma: obliviscor + -que; Part of Speech: participle + enclitic; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive (deponent) participle; Function: describes subject; Translation: and having forgotten; Notes: deponent verb.
  15. cognoverit — Lemma: cognosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: second condition; Translation: has realized; Notes: realization after forgetfulness.
  16. postea — Lemma: postea; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: afterwards; Notes: specifies timing.
  17. subiacebit — Lemma: subiaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main apodosis; Translation: shall be subject; Notes: indicates liability.
  18. delicto — Lemma: delictum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: indirect object of subiacebit; Translation: to guilt; Notes: expresses legal culpability.

 

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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