Leviticus 16:19

Posted on April 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 16:19 aspergensque digito septies, expiet, et sanctificet illud ab immunditiis filiorum Israel.

and sprinkling with the finger seven times, he shall cleanse it, and sanctify it from the impurities of the sons of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 aspergensque and-sprinkling PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M+CONJ
2 digito with-the-finger ABL.SG.M
3 septies seven-times ADV
4 expiet he-shall-cleanse 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 et and CONJ
6 sanctificet he-shall-sanctify 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
7 illud it ACC.SG.N.DEM
8 ab from PREP+ABL
9 immunditiis impurities ABL.PL.F
10 filiorum sons GEN.PL.M
11 Israel Israel INDECL

Syntax

Participial Phrase: aspergensque digito septies — attendant circumstance describing the manner of the action
Main Verbs: expiet + sanctificet — coordinated actions of purification and consecration
Direct Object: illud — the altar previously referenced
Ablative of Separation: ab immunditiis filiorum Israel — source of defilement removed by the rite

Morphology

  1. aspergensque — Lemma: aspergo; Part of Speech: participle with enclitic; Form: present active participle nominative masculine singular + -que; Function: attendant circumstance modifying the main action; Translation: and sprinkling; Notes: Describes the ritual manner accompanying purification.
  2. digito — Lemma: digitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular, second declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with the finger; Notes: Indicates precise manual action.
  3. septies — Lemma: septies; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverb of frequency; Translation: seven times; Notes: Ritual number signifying completeness.
  4. expiet — Lemma: expio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: he shall cleanse; Notes: Refers to ritual expiation.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins two ritual effects.
  6. sanctificet — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: coordinated jussive action; Translation: he shall sanctify; Notes: Emphasizes consecration following cleansing.
  7. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: it; Notes: Refers to the altar or sanctified object.
  8. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: separation; Translation: from; Notes: Marks removal of impurity.
  9. immunditiis — Lemma: immunditia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine plural, first declension; Function: object of ab; Translation: impurities; Notes: Ritual uncleanness.
  10. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine plural, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the sons; Notes: Identifies the source community.
  11. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition; Translation: Israel; Notes: Covenant people.

 

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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