Leviticus 25:19

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:19 et gignat vobis humus fructus suos, quibus vescamini usque ad saturitatem, nullius impetum formidantes.

and let the soil produce its fruits for you, by which you may eat to fullness, fearing no one’s assault.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 gignat let (it) produce 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
3 vobis for you DAT.PL.PERS
4 humus soil NOM.SG.F.3RD.DECL
5 fructus fruits ACC.PL.M.4TH.DECL
6 suos its own ACC.PL.M.POSS.REFL
7 quibus by which ABL.PL.M.REL
8 vescamini you may eat 2PL.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
9 usque unto ADV
10 ad to PREP+ACC
11 saturitatem fullness ACC.SG.F.3RD.DECL
12 nullius of no one GEN.SG.M.INDEF
13 impetum assault ACC.SG.M.4TH.DECL
14 formidantes fearing NOM.PL.M.PTCP.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Jussive Clause: gignat — present subjunctive expressing a wished-for or promised outcome.
Subject: humus — the producing agent.
Dative of Advantage: vobis — beneficiaries of the yield.
Direct Object: fructus suos — the produce belonging properly to the land.
Relative Means Clause: quibus vescamini — ablative relative indicating means, with deponent subjunctive after a jussive context.
Extent Phrase: usque ad saturitatem — degree/result of eating.
Participial Modifier: nullius impetum formidantes — circumstantial participle describing secure conditions.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the chain of promised outcomes.
  2. gignat — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: jussive/promise; Translation: let (it) produce; Notes: Subjunctive expresses assured provision tied to obedience.
  3. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: for you; Notes: Identifies the recipients of the land’s yield.
  4. humus — Lemma: humus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: subject of gignat; Translation: soil; Notes: Personified as the productive agent.
  5. fructus — Lemma: fructus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, fourth declension; Function: direct object; Translation: fruits; Notes: Denotes agricultural yield and benefit.
  6. suos — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies fructus; Translation: its own; Notes: Reflexive links the produce intrinsically to the land.
  7. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: by which; Notes: Refers back to the fruits as the means of sustenance.
  8. vescamini — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: second person plural present subjunctive; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: you may eat; Notes: Subjunctive aligns with the jussive/purpose sense.
  9. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: degree marker; Translation: unto; Notes: Indicates extent rather than mere direction.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: expresses limit; Translation: to; Notes: Completes the extent expression with usque.
  11. saturitatem — Lemma: saturitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: fullness; Notes: Denotes complete sufficiency, not excess.
  12. nullius — Lemma: nullus; Part of Speech: indefinite adjective/pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies impetum; Translation: of no one; Notes: Strengthens the sense of total security.
  13. impetum — Lemma: impetus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, fourth declension; Function: object of the participle; Translation: assault; Notes: Encompasses attack or hostile incursion.
  14. formidantes — Lemma: formido; Part of Speech: present active participle; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the implied subject; Translation: fearing; Notes: Negated by nullius, describing fearless dwelling.

 

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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