Leviticus 11:46

Posted on April 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

LV 11:46 Ista est lex animantium ac volucrum, et omnis animæ viventis, quæ movetur in aqua, et reptat in terra,

This is the law of living creatures and of birds, and of every living soul, that moves in the waters, and that creeps upon the earth,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ista this NOM.SG.F
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 lex law NOM.SG.F
4 animantium of living creatures GEN.PL.N
5 ac and CONJ
6 volucrum of birds GEN.PL.F
7 et and CONJ
8 omnis of every GEN.SG.F
9 animæ soul GEN.SG.F
10 viventis living GEN.SG.F.PTCP
11 quæ which REL.NOM.SG.F
12 movetur moves 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 aqua water ABL.SG.F
15 et and CONJ
16 reptat creeps 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 in upon PREP+ABL
18 terra earth ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Copular Clause: Ista est lex — demonstrative subject with defining predicate
Genitive Specification: animantium ac volucrum — categories governed by the law
Extended Genitive: et omnis animæ viventis — inclusive expansion of scope
Relative Description: quæ movetur in aqua et reptat in terra — domains of movement defining living creatures

Morphology

  1. Ista — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject modifier; Translation: this; Notes: Points to the immediately preceding legal material.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Establishes definition.
  3. lex — Lemma: lex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: predicate noun; Translation: law; Notes: Refers to binding divine instruction.
  4. animantium — Lemma: animans; Part of Speech: noun used adjectivally; Form: genitive neuter plural; Function: genitive of scope; Translation: of living creatures; Notes: Broad category of animate beings.
  5. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Closely joins related categories.
  6. volucrum — Lemma: volucris; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine plural; Function: genitive of scope; Translation: of birds; Notes: Winged creatures.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: additive coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds a further category.
  8. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: modifier; Translation: of every; Notes: Emphasizes completeness.
  9. animæ — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: head of genitive phrase; Translation: soul; Notes: Refers to living being or life principle.
  10. viventis — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: genitive feminine singular present active participle; Function: modifier of animæ; Translation: living; Notes: Specifies active life.
  11. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to anima.
  12. movetur — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: moves; Notes: Describes motion without specifying agent.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates domain.
  14. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: object of in; Translation: water; Notes: Aquatic realm.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins two modes of movement.
  16. reptat — Lemma: repo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: creeps; Notes: Ground based movement.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: location; Translation: upon; Notes: Surface relation.
  18. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: object of in; Translation: earth; Notes: Terrestrial realm.

 

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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