Leviticus 25:11

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

11 quia iubilæus est et quinquagesimus annus. Non seretis, neque metetis sponte in agro nascentia, et primitias vindemiæ non colligetis,

for it is a jubilee and the fiftieth year. You shall not sow, nor shall you reap what grows of itself in the field, and you shall not gather the firstfruits of the vintage.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quia for CONJ
2 iubilæus jubilee NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
3 est is 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
4 et and CONJ
5 quinquagesimus fiftieth NOM.SG.M.SUPER.ADJ
6 annus year NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
7 Non not ADV
8 seretis you will sow 2PL.FUT.IND.ACT
9 neque nor CONJ
10 metetis you will reap 2PL.FUT.IND.ACT
11 sponte of itself ADV
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 agro field ABL.SG.M.2ND.DECL
14 nascentia things growing ACC.PL.N.PTCP.PRES.DEP
15 et and CONJ
16 primitias firstfruits ACC.PL.F.1ST.DECL
17 vindemiæ of the vintage GEN.SG.F.1ST.DECL
18 non not ADV
19 colligetis you will gather 2PL.FUT.IND.ACT

Syntax

Explanatory Clause: quia iubilæus est et quinquagesimus annus — causal clause identifying the year’s status and number.
Prohibitive Futures: Non seretis + neque metetis — coordinated prohibitions using future indicatives.
Object Specification: nascentia modified by sponte and localized by in agro.
Additional Prohibition: primitias vindemiæ non colligetis — direct object with genitive of definition.

Morphology

  1. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: for; Notes: Grounds the prohibitions in the identity of the year.
  2. iubilæus — Lemma: iubilæus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: jubilee; Notes: Technical term for the year of release.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: States an identifying equation.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links two identifying predicates.
  5. quinquagesimus — Lemma: quinquagesimus; Part of Speech: adjective (ordinal); Form: nominative singular masculine, superlative degree by form; Function: modifies annus; Translation: fiftieth; Notes: Ordinal form marking the counted cycle.
  6. annus — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject of the copular clause; Translation: year; Notes: The temporal unit being defined.
  7. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: not; Notes: With future indicative, expresses prohibition.
  8. seretis — Lemma: sero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: first prohibited action; Translation: you will sow; Notes: Addresses the community collectively.
  9. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Continues the prohibition.
  10. metetis — Lemma: meto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: second prohibited action; Translation: you will reap; Notes: Complements the ban on sowing.
  11. sponte — Lemma: sponte; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies nascentia; Translation: of itself; Notes: Emphasizes growth without cultivation.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: in; Notes: Specifies where the growth occurs.
  13. agro — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: field; Notes: Represents arable land.
  14. nascentia — Lemma: nascor; Part of Speech: present participle (deponent) used substantively; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of metetis; Translation: things growing; Notes: Refers to spontaneous produce.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Introduces an additional prohibition.
  16. primitias — Lemma: primitæ; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of colligetis; Translation: firstfruits; Notes: Earliest yield normally gathered first.
  17. vindemiæ — Lemma: vindemia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, first declension; Function: genitive of definition; Translation: of the vintage; Notes: Specifies grape harvest produce.
  18. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: not; Notes: Reiterates the prohibition.
  19. colligetis — Lemma: colligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: final prohibited action; Translation: you will gather; Notes: Forbids organized harvesting during the jubilee.

 

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.