Leviticus 17:16

Posted on April 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 17:16 Quod si non laverit vestimenta sua et corpus, portabit iniquitatem suam.

But if he does not wash his garments and his body, he shall bear his iniquity.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod but-if CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 non not ADV
4 laverit has-washed 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
5 vestimenta garments ACC.PL.N
6 sua his-own ACC.PL.N.PRON.POSS
7 et and CONJ
8 corpus body ACC.SG.N
9 portabit he-shall-bear 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 iniquitatem iniquity ACC.SG.F
11 suam his-own ACC.SG.F.PRON.POSS

Syntax

Conditional Introduction: Quod si — adversative condition setting consequence
Negative Condition: non laverit — failure to perform required purification
Objects of Washing: vestimenta sua + corpus — garments and body
Main Consequence: portabit — legal outcome pronounced
Direct Object: iniquitatem suam — guilt borne by the offender

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adversative conditional introducer; Translation: but; Notes: Common legal transition meaning “but if.”
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: conditional marker; Translation: if; Notes: Introduces the protasis.
  3. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute negation of the required act.
  4. laverit — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: has washed; Notes: Subjunctive used in legal condition.
  5. vestimenta — Lemma: vestimentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter plural, second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: garments; Notes: Outer clothing requiring purification.
  6. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative neuter plural; Function: modifies vestimenta; Translation: his own; Notes: Reflexive possession referring to the subject.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins the two objects of washing.
  8. corpus — Lemma: corpus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: body; Notes: Physical person requiring cleansing.
  9. portabit — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: shall bear; Notes: Legal future expressing inevitable consequence.
  10. iniquitatem — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: iniquity; Notes: Moral guilt incurred.
  11. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: modifies iniquitatem; Translation: his own; Notes: Responsibility remains with the offender.

 

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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