Leviticus 21:21

Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 21:21 Omnis qui habuerit maculam de semine Aaron sacerdotis, non accedet offerre hostias Domino, nec panes Deo suo:

Every one who has a blemish from the offspring of Aaron the priest, shall not approach to offer sacrifices to the LORD, nor the bread to his God;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnis every NOM.SG.M (ADJ)
2 qui who NOM.SG.M (REL)
3 habuerit has had 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 maculam blemish ACC.SG.F (1ST DECL)
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 semine offspring ABL.SG.N (3RD DECL)
7 Aaron Aaron GEN.SG.M (INDECL)
8 sacerdotis of the priest GEN.SG.M (3RD DECL)
9 non not ADV
10 accedet he shall approach 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 offerre to offer INF.PRES.ACT
12 hostias sacrifices ACC.PL.F (1ST DECL)
13 Domino LORD DAT.SG.M (2ND DECL)
14 nec nor CONJ
15 panes bread ACC.PL.M (3RD DECL)
16 Deo to God DAT.SG.M (2ND DECL)
17 suo his own DAT.SG.M (POSS)

Syntax

Universal Subject: Omnis qui habuerit maculam — nominative subject with a defining relative clause using the perfect subjunctive to specify a qualifying condition.

Lineage Specification: de semine Aaron sacerdotis — prepositional phrase with a double genitive identifying priestly descent.

Legal Prohibition: non accedet offerre hostias Domino — future indicative with negation stating a permanent cultic restriction.

Coordinated Extension: nec panes Deo suo — coordinated accusative object with dative of recipient, extending the prohibition.

Morphology

  1. Omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: modifies the subject; Translation: “every”; Notes: Establishes universality.
  2. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to omnis.
  3. habuerit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the defining relative clause; Translation: “has had”; Notes: Subjunctive used in legal specification.
  4. maculam — Lemma: macula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “blemish”; Notes: Physical defect affecting eligibility.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks origin.
  6. semine — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: object of de; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Refers to genealogical descent.
  7. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, indeclinable; Function: modifies semine; Translation: “Aaron”; Notes: Progenitor of the priesthood.
  8. sacerdotis — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: appositional genitive; Translation: “of the priest”; Notes: Identifies Aaron’s office.
  9. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Governs the future verb.
  10. accedet — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall approach”; Notes: Legal future expressing prohibition.
  11. offerre — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: infinitive verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to offer”; Notes: Completes the verbal idea of accedet.
  12. hostias — Lemma: hostia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: direct object; Translation: “sacrifices”; Notes: Refers to sacrificial offerings.
  13. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  14. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Extends the prohibition.
  15. panes — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: coordinated direct object; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Cultic food offerings.
  16. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Identifies the divine recipient.
  17. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies Deo; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive possession referring to the priest.

 

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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