Leviticus 7:17

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 7:17 quidquid autem tertius invenerit dies, ignis absumet.

but whatever the third day shall have found, fire shall consume.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quidquid whatever INDECL.PRON
2 autem but CONJ
3 tertius third ADJ.NOM.SG.M
4 invenerit shall have found 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
5 dies day NOM.SG.M
6 ignis fire NOM.SG.M
7 absumet shall consume 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Fronted Object: quidquid — sets the scope as “anything whatsoever”
Temporal Agent Clause: tertius dies invenerit — the third day “finds” what remains
Main Clause: ignis absumet — commands destruction by fire
Discourse Particle: autem — marks contrast with the previous permission

Morphology

  1. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: indeclinable; Function: direct object understood with invenerit and absumet; Translation: whatever; Notes: Covers any remainder without exception.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative particle; Translation: but; Notes: Introduces a stricter rule following the prior allowance.
  3. tertius — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies dies; Translation: third; Notes: Specifies the critical time boundary for disposal.
  4. invenerit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: shall have found; Notes: Idiomatically refers to whatever remains when the third day arrives.
  5. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, fifth declension; Function: subject of invenerit; Translation: day; Notes: Personified as the point at which the remainder is evaluated.
  6. ignis — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject of absumet; Translation: fire; Notes: Standard means of disposing of prohibited leftovers.
  7. absumet — Lemma: absumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: shall consume; Notes: Expresses mandatory destruction rather than optional burning.

 

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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