Leviticus 7:1

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 7:1 Hæc quoque lex hostiæ pro delicto, Sancta sanctorum est:

This also is the law of the offering for guilt, it is the Holy of holies;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc this DEM.NOM.SG.F
2 quoque also ADV
3 lex law NOM.SG.F
4 hostiæ of the offering GEN.SG.F
5 pro for PREP+ABL
6 delicto guilt ABL.SG.N
7 Sancta holy NOM.SG.F.SUPER
8 sanctorum of holies GEN.PL.N
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Hæc (demonstrative subject) + est (copulative verb)
Predicate Nominative: lex — identifies the subject
Genitive Phrase: hostiæ — specifies the kind of law
Prepositional Phrase: pro delicto — expresses purpose or reference
Predicate Expression: Sancta sanctorum — superlative genitival construction indicating highest degree of holiness

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic, hæc, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: this; Notes: Points deictically to the immediately preceding or following regulation.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: additive modifier; Translation: also; Notes: Links this regulation with a prior law already given.
  3. lex — Lemma: lex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: law; Notes: Refers to a fixed priestly regulation rather than a narrative command.
  4. hostiæ — Lemma: hostia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, first declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying lex; Translation: of the offering; Notes: Specifies the sacrificial category governed by this law.
  5. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: introduces a purpose or reference phrase; Translation: for; Notes: Commonly used in sacrificial contexts to indicate cause or purpose.
  6. delicto — Lemma: delictum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of the preposition pro; Translation: guilt; Notes: Denotes liability incurred by wrongdoing rather than the act alone.
  7. Sancta — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine superlative degree; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: most holy; Notes: Superlative form emphasizes maximal consecration.
  8. sanctorum — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: partitive genitive dependent on Sancta; Translation: of holies; Notes: Fixed cultic expression intensifying holiness by genitival repetition.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula linking subject and predicate; Translation: is; Notes: States an enduring legal status rather than a temporary condition.

 

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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