Lv 21:13 Virginem ducet uxorem:
A virgin he shall take as wife;
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Virginem |
virgin |
ACC.SG.F (ADJ) |
| 2 |
ducet |
he shall take |
3SG.FUT.ACT.IND |
| 3 |
uxorem |
wife |
ACC.SG.F (3RD DECL) |
Syntax
Simple Legal Prescription: Virginem ducet uxorem — future indicative stating a positive marital requirement; the accusative virginem functions as a predicate accusative specifying the required status of the woman taken as uxorem.
Morphology
- Virginem — Lemma: virgo; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “virgin”; Notes: Specifies the required condition of the woman.
- ducet — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall take”; Notes: Standard legal idiom for taking a wife.
- uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Legitimate marital partner.
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.