Leviticus 13:39

Posted on April 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 13:39 intuebitur eos sacerdos. si deprehenderit subobscurum alborem lucere in cute, sciat non esse lepram, sed maculam coloris candidi, et hominem mundum.

the priest shall inspect them. If he has found a faint whiteness shining in the skin, he shall know that it is not leprosy, but a spot of white color, and that the man is clean.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 intuebitur he shall inspect 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
2 eos them ACC.PL.M PERS.PRON
3 sacerdos priest NOM.SG.M
4 si if CONJ
5 deprehenderit has found 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
6 subobscurum somewhat dim ACC.SG.M ADJ.POS
7 alborem whiteness ACC.SG.M
8 lucere to shine PRES.ACT.INF
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 cute skin ABL.SG.F
11 sciat let him know 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
12 non not ADV
13 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
14 lepram leprosy ACC.SG.F
15 sed but CONJ
16 maculam spot ACC.SG.F
17 coloris of color GEN.SG.M
18 candidi white GEN.SG.M ADJ.POS
19 et and CONJ
20 hominem man ACC.SG.M
21 mundum clean ACC.SG.M ADJ.POS

Syntax

Main Action: intuebitur sacerdos states the priestly inspection using a future deponent verb.
Direct Object: eos refers to the persons under examination.
Conditional Clause: si deprehenderit subobscurum alborem lucere in cute presents the diagnostic observation with a perfect subjunctive and complementary infinitive.
Jussive Determination: sciat issues an authoritative recognition.
Negative Identification: non esse lepram denies the disease.
Correct Classification: sed maculam coloris candidi redefines the condition.
Final Status: hominem mundum declares ritual purity.

Morphology

  1. intuebitur — Lemma: intueor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future deponent indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall inspect; Notes: Deponent emphasizes careful observation.
  2. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to the examined individuals.
  3. sacerdos — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: priest; Notes: Legal authority in purity rulings.
  4. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Opens diagnostic test.
  5. deprehenderit — Lemma: deprehendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of condition; Translation: has found; Notes: Marks careful detection.
  6. subobscurum — Lemma: subobscurus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine positive; Function: modifies alborem; Translation: somewhat dim; Notes: Indicates reduced intensity.
  7. alborem — Lemma: albor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of deprehenderit; Translation: whiteness; Notes: Visible discoloration.
  8. lucere — Lemma: luceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to shine; Notes: Describes appearance.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: marks location; Translation: in; Notes: Locative use.
  10. cute — Lemma: cutis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: skin; Notes: Physical site.
  11. sciat — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: jussive command; Translation: let him know; Notes: Authoritative determination.
  12. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates infinitive; Translation: not; Notes: Denies diagnosis.
  13. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive of indirect statement; Translation: to be; Notes: Completes assessment.
  14. lepram — Lemma: lepra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: leprosy; Notes: Condition denied.
  15. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: adversative; Function: contrasts diagnoses; Translation: but; Notes: Introduces correct classification.
  16. maculam — Lemma: macula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: spot; Notes: Benign mark.
  17. coloris — Lemma: color; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies maculam; Translation: of color; Notes: Descriptive genitive.
  18. candidi — Lemma: candidus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine positive; Function: modifies coloris; Translation: white; Notes: Normal pigmentation.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links final assessment; Translation: and; Notes: Adds resulting status.
  20. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of declaration; Translation: man; Notes: Person evaluated.
  21. mundum — Lemma: mundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine positive; Function: object complement; Translation: clean; Notes: Ritual status affirmed.

 

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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