Leviticus 25:31

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:31 Sin autem in villa domus, quæ muros non habet, agrorum iure vendetur. si ante redempta non fuerit, in iubileo revertetur ad dominum.

But if the house is in a village that does not have walls, it shall be sold by the law of the fields. If it has not been redeemed beforehand, it shall return to the owner in the jubilee.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sin but if CONJ
2 autem however ADV
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 villa village ABL.SG.F.1ST.DECL
5 domus house NOM.SG.F.4TH.DECL
6 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL
7 muros walls ACC.PL.M.2ND.DECL
8 non not ADV
9 habet has 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
10 agrorum of fields GEN.PL.M.2ND.DECL
11 iure by law ABL.SG.N.3RD.DECL
12 vendetur shall be sold 3SG.FUT.IND.PASS
13 si if CONJ
14 ante beforehand ADV
15 redempta redeemed NOM.SG.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
16 non not ADV
17 fuerit has been 3SG.FUTP.SUBJ.ACT
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 iubileo jubilee ABL.SG.N.2ND.DECL
20 revertetur shall return 3SG.FUT.IND.DEP
21 ad to PREP+ACC
22 dominum owner ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL

Syntax

Alternative Condition: Sin autem in villa domus — introduces a contrasting legal category from walled-city houses.
Relative Qualification: quæ muros non habet — defines the village house negatively by lack of fortifications.
Main Legal Rule: agrorum iure vendetur — passive future assigning rural land law to such houses.
Secondary Condition: si ante redempta non fuerit — conditional clause specifying failure to redeem before jubilee.
Restoration Rule: in iubileo revertetur ad dominum — future deponent indicating automatic reversion at jubilee.

Morphology

  1. Sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces an alternative condition; Translation: but if; Notes: Contrasts with the preceding urban-house rule.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adversative emphasis; Translation: however; Notes: Sharpens the contrast.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates setting rather than ownership.
  4. villa — Lemma: villa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, first declension; Function: object of in; Translation: village; Notes: Refers to an unwalled rural settlement.
  5. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, fourth declension; Function: subject of vendetur; Translation: house; Notes: A dwelling treated legally as land.
  6. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of habet; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to domus.
  7. muros — Lemma: murus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of habet; Translation: walls; Notes: City walls define the urban–rural legal boundary.
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Denies urban status.
  9. habet — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: has; Notes: States the defining physical criterion.
  10. agrorum — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: modifies iure; Translation: of fields; Notes: Associates the house with farmland law.
  11. iure — Lemma: ius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, third declension; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: by law; Notes: Indicates governing legal framework.
  12. vendetur — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: main verb; Translation: shall be sold; Notes: Passive emphasizes legal status.
  13. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Opens the redemption contingency.
  14. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: beforehand; Notes: Specifies timing prior to jubilee.
  15. redempta — Lemma: redimo; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: complements fuerit; Translation: redeemed; Notes: Agrees with domus.
  16. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Negates prior redemption.
  17. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the condition; Translation: has been; Notes: Forms a perfect periphrasis.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: temporal location; Translation: in; Notes: Refers to the jubilee year.
  19. iubileo — Lemma: iubileum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: jubilee; Notes: The year of mandated restoration.
  20. revertetur — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative deponent; Function: main verb; Translation: shall return; Notes: Deponent expresses automatic legal reversal.
  21. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: Marks the recipient of restoration.
  22. dominum — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: owner; Notes: The original holder regains possession.

 

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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