Leviticus 22:28

Posted on April 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 22:28 Sive illa bos, sive ovis, non immolabuntur una die cum fœtibus suis.

Whether it is an ox, or whether it is a sheep, they shall not be slaughtered on the same day together with their young.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sive whether CONJ
2 illa it NOM.SG.F.DEM
3 bos ox NOM.SG.M
4 sive whether CONJ
5 ovis sheep NOM.SG.F
6 non not ADV
7 immolabuntur they shall be slaughtered 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND
8 una together / one ABL.SG.F.ADJ
9 die day ABL.SG.M
10 cum with PREP+ABL
11 fœtibus young ABL.PL.M
12 suis their ABL.PL.M.POSS

Syntax

Alternative Subjects: Sive illa bos sive ovis — two animal categories presented as equal legal cases.
Main Prohibition: non immolabuntur — future passive expressing a categorical ban.
Temporal Circumstance: una die — ablative of time specifying simultaneity.
Accompaniment Phrase: cum fœtibus suis — forbids slaughter together with offspring.

Morphology

  1. Sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces an alternative condition; Translation: “whether”; Notes: Sets up a legal either–or structure.
  2. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject determiner; Translation: “it”; Notes: Points forward to the specific animal named.
  3. bos — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “ox”; Notes: Bovine sacrificial animal.
  4. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a parallel alternative; Translation: “whether”; Notes: Balances the two cases.
  5. ovis — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “sheep”; Notes: Ovine sacrificial animal.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Absolute negation.
  7. immolabuntur — Lemma: immolo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural future passive indicative; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “they shall be slaughtered”; Notes: Cultic term for sacrificial killing.
  8. una — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: modifies die; Translation: “one / the same”; Notes: Emphasizes simultaneity.
  9. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “day”; Notes: Specifies the temporal restriction.
  10. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Indicates joint action.
  11. fœtibus — Lemma: fœtus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: object of cum; Translation: “young”; Notes: Refers to offspring still dependent on the mother.
  12. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: modifies fœtibus; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to the animal.

 

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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