Leviticus 13:41

Posted on April 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 13:41 et si a fronte ceciderint pili, recalvaster et mundus est.

and if the hairs have fallen from the front, he is receding bald and clean.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 a from PREP+ABL
4 fronte forehead ABL.SG.F
5 ceciderint have fallen 3PL.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
6 pili hairs NOM.PL.M
7 recalvaster receding bald NOM.SG.M ADJ.POS
8 et and CONJ
9 mundus clean NOM.SG.M ADJ.POS
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Conditional Continuation: et si extends the prior ruling with an additional case.
Source Phrase: a fronte specifies the location from which hair loss occurs.
Conditional Predicate: ceciderint pili uses a perfect subjunctive to mark the diagnostic condition.
Resulting Assessment: recalvaster et mundus est states both physical description and ritual status.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Adds a parallel legal case.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Establishes a hypothetical assessment.
  3. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: marks source; Translation: from; Notes: Indicates point of origin.
  4. fronte — Lemma: frons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of a; Translation: forehead; Notes: Front of the head.
  5. ceciderint — Lemma: cado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the condition; Translation: have fallen; Notes: Describes hair loss as a completed event.
  6. pili — Lemma: pilus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of ceciderint; Translation: hairs; Notes: Refers to hair at the front of the head.
  7. recalvaster — Lemma: recalvaster; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: receding bald; Notes: Distinguishes frontal baldness from complete baldness.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins predicates; Translation: and; Notes: Coordinates physical and ritual assessments.
  9. mundus — Lemma: mundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine positive; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: clean; Notes: Declares ritual purity.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Completes the legal statement.

 

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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