Leviticus 21:2

Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 21:2 nisi tantum in consanguineis, ac propinquis, id est, super patre et matre, et filio, et filia, fratre quoque,

except only among close relatives and near kin, that is, for a father and a mother, and for a son, and a daughter, and also for a brother,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nisi except CONJ
2 tantum only ADV
3 in among PREP+ABL
4 consanguineis blood relatives ABL.PL.M (ADJ)
5 ac and CONJ
6 propinquis near kin ABL.PL.M (ADJ)
7 id that NOM.SG.N (DEM)
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 super for PREP+ABL
10 patre father ABL.SG.M (3RD DECL)
11 et and CONJ
12 matre mother ABL.SG.F (3RD DECL)
13 et and CONJ
14 filio son ABL.SG.M (2ND DECL)
15 et and CONJ
16 filia daughter ABL.SG.F (1ST DECL)
17 fratre brother ABL.SG.M (3RD DECL)
18 quoque also ADV

Syntax

Exception Clause: nisi tantum in consanguineis ac propinquis — restrictive exception limiting the preceding prohibition, governed by nisi with ablative objects after in.

Appositional Clarification: id est — explanatory formula introducing specification.

Enumerated Allowance: super patre et matre et filio et filia fratre quoque — list of permitted cases, each governed by super with the ablative, indicating legitimate cause for ritual contact.

Morphology

  1. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces exception; Translation: “except”; Notes: Restricts the scope of the prohibition.
  2. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: limiter; Translation: “only”; Notes: Emphasizes exclusivity.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: sphere of relation; Translation: “among”; Notes: Indicates relational context.
  4. consanguineis — Lemma: consanguineus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: object of in; Translation: “blood relatives”; Notes: Kin connected by blood.
  5. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: close coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Stronger than simple et.
  6. propinquis — Lemma: propinquus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: object of in; Translation: “near kin”; Notes: Relatives by closeness.
  7. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject of est; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the preceding category.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
  9. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: causal reference; Translation: “for”; Notes: Idiom for mourning cause.
  10. patre — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of super; Translation: “father”; Notes: Closest paternal relation.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins items.
  12. matre — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: object of super; Translation: “mother”; Notes: Closest maternal relation.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues list.
  14. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of super; Translation: “son”; Notes: Direct descendant.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins family members.
  16. filia — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: object of super; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Female descendant.
  17. fratre — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of super; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Sibling relation.
  18. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: additive emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Adds to the permitted list.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Leviticus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.