Leviticus 11:47

Posted on April 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 11:47 ut differentias noveritis mundi, et immundi, et sciatis quid comedere et quid respuere debeatis.

so that you may know the differences of the clean, and unclean, and know what you ought to eat and what you ought to reject.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ut so that CONJ
2 differentias distinctions ACC.PL.F
3 noveritis you may know 2PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 mundi of the clean GEN.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 immundi of the unclean GEN.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 sciatis you may know 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 quid what INDEF.ACC.SG.N
10 comedere to eat INF.PRES.ACT
11 et and CONJ
12 quid what INDEF.ACC.SG.N
13 respuere to reject INF.PRES.ACT
14 debeatis you ought 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Purpose Clause: ut differentias noveritis — purpose expressed with ut and the subjunctive
Genitive Contrast: mundi et immundi — opposing ritual categories
Coordinated Purpose: et sciatis — second coordinated aim
Indirect Objects of Knowledge: quid comedere et quid respuere debeatis — infinitival clauses governed by debeatis

Morphology

  1. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Governs the subjunctive verbs that follow.
  2. differentias — Lemma: differentia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: direct object of noveritis; Translation: distinctions; Notes: Refers to categorical separations.
  3. noveritis — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: you may know; Notes: Perfect subjunctive emphasizes attained understanding.
  4. mundi — Lemma: mundus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: genitive dependent on differentias; Translation: of the clean; Notes: Ritual purity category.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins contrasting categories.
  6. immundi — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: genitive dependent on differentias; Translation: of the unclean; Notes: Ritual impurity category.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Introduces a second purpose.
  8. sciatis — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of coordinated purpose clause; Translation: you may know; Notes: Present subjunctive emphasizes ongoing discernment.
  9. quid — Lemma: quid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: object of comedere; Translation: what; Notes: Introduces an indirect question.
  10. comedere — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to eat; Notes: Refers to permitted consumption.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Balances the paired infinitives.
  12. quid — Lemma: quid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: object of respuere; Translation: what; Notes: Parallel to the earlier quid.
  13. respuere — Lemma: respueo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to reject; Notes: Indicates deliberate refusal.
  14. debeatis — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active subjunctive; Function: governing verb of obligation; Translation: you ought; Notes: Subjunctive required in indirect purpose context.

 

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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