Leviticus 22:20

Posted on April 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 22:20 si maculam habuerit, non offeretis, neque erit acceptabile.

if it has a blemish, you shall not offer it, nor shall it be acceptable.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 si if CONJ
2 maculam blemish ACC.SG.F
3 habuerit has had 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 non not ADV
5 offeretis you shall offer 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 neque nor CONJ
7 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 acceptabile acceptable NOM.SG.N.ADJ

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: si maculam habuerit — a real legal condition stated with a perfect subjunctive.
Primary Prohibition: non offeretis — direct ban expressed with future indicative in legislative style.
Coordinated Consequence: neque erit acceptabile — states the resulting lack of acceptability.

Morphology

  1. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Establishes a legal condition.
  2. maculam — Lemma: macula; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object of habuerit; Translation: “blemish”; Notes: Refers to a physical defect disqualifying the offering.
  3. habuerit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the conditional protasis; Translation: “has had”; Notes: Perfect subjunctive typical in conditional legislation.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates offeretis; Translation: “not”; Notes: Absolute negation of permission.
  5. offeretis — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: main prohibition; Translation: “you shall offer”; Notes: Future indicative used normatively.
  6. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates a further negation; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Links a second negative outcome.
  7. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: states consequence; Translation: “will be”; Notes: Normative future expressing result.
  8. acceptabile — Lemma: acceptabilis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: predicate adjective with erit; Translation: “acceptable”; Notes: Cultic acceptability before God is denied.

 

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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