Leviticus 8:5

Posted on April 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 8:5 ait: Iste est sermo, quem iussit Dominus fieri.

he said: “This is the word, which the LORD commanded to be done.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ait he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
2 Iste this NOM.SG.M.DEM
3 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 sermo word NOM.SG.M
5 quem which ACC.SG.M.REL
6 iussit commanded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
8 fieri to be done INF.PRES.PASS

Syntax

Main Clause: ait — verb of speech introducing the declaration
Predicate Statement: Iste est sermo — demonstrative subject with copular verb and predicate noun
Relative Clause: quem iussit Dominus fieri — defines sermo by divine command
Infinitival Complement: fieri — dependent infinitive expressing what is commanded

Morphology

  1. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: he said; Notes: Present tense used as a historical present in narrative discourse.
  2. Iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of the copular clause; Translation: this; Notes: Points emphatically to what follows as immediately relevant.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Links the demonstrative subject with its predicate noun.
  4. sermo — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular third declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: word; Notes: Refers to an authoritative spoken command or instruction.
  5. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object within the relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to sermo.
  6. iussit — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: commanded; Notes: Expresses authoritative directive completed in the past.
  7. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: subject of iussit; Translation: LORD; Notes: Rendered as LORD because it refers to YHWH.
  8. fieri — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive dependent on iussit; Translation: to be done; Notes: Passive infinitive emphasizes the execution of the command rather than the agent.

 

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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