Leviticus 18:28

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:28 Cavete ergo ne et vos similiter evomat, cum paria feceritis, sicut evomuit gentem, quæ fuit ante vos.

Take heed therefore, lest it also vomit you out in the same way, when you have done similar things, just as it vomited out the nation, which was before you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cavete take-heed 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 ne lest CONJ
4 et also ADV
5 vos you ACC.PL.PERS
6 similiter likewise ADV
7 evomat it-may-vomit-out 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 cum when CONJ
9 paria similar-things ACC.PL.N
10 feceritis you-have-done 2PL.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ
11 sicut just-as CONJ
12 evomuit it-vomited-out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
14 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL
15 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 ante before PREP+ACC
17 vos you ACC.PL.PERS

Syntax

Main Command: Cavete — present imperative issuing a solemn warning
Negative Purpose Clause: ne et vos similiter evomat — fear clause with subjunctive expressing possible consequence
Temporal Clause: cum paria feceritis — future perfect subjunctive indicating completed action prior to consequence
Comparative Clause: sicut evomuit gentem — analogy grounding the warning in prior judgment
Relative Clause: quæ fuit ante vos — identifies the former inhabitants

Morphology

  1. Cavete — Lemma: caveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present imperative active; Function: principal command; Translation: take heed; Notes: Strong warning calling for vigilance.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: therefore; Notes: Draws conclusion from prior statements.
  3. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces fear clause; Translation: lest; Notes: Governs the following subjunctive.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: additive emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: Includes the addressees in the comparison.
  5. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of evomat; Translation: you; Notes: Directly addresses Israel.
  6. similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: manner; Translation: likewise; Notes: Points to parallel judgment.
  7. evomat — Lemma: evomo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of the fear clause; Translation: may vomit out; Notes: Metaphor of expulsion by the land.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: temporal conjunction; Translation: when; Notes: Introduces a time condition.
  9. paria — Lemma: par; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative neuter plural; Function: direct object; Translation: similar things; Notes: Refers to comparable abominations.
  10. feceritis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: you have done; Notes: Action completed prior to consequence.
  11. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: comparative connector; Translation: just as; Notes: Introduces historical comparison.
  12. evomuit — Lemma: evomo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative active; Function: predicate of comparison; Translation: it vomited out; Notes: Refers to completed past judgment.
  13. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nation; Notes: The prior inhabitants of the land.
  14. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to gentem.
  15. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative active; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: was; Notes: Marks prior existence.
  16. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: temporal precedence; Translation: before; Notes: Indicates earlier time.
  17. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of ante; Translation: you; Notes: Addresses Israel directly.

 

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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