Leviticus 25:47

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:47 Si invaluerit apud vos manus advenæ atque peregrini, et attenuatus frater tuus vendiderit se ei, aut cuiquam de stirpe eius:

If the hand of a foreigner or a sojourner among you grows strong, and your brother, having become impoverished, sells himself to him, or to anyone of his lineage;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 invaluerit has grown strong 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
3 apud among PREP+ACC
4 vos you ACC.PL.PERS.PRON
5 manus hand NOM.SG.F.4TH.DECL
6 advenæ of a foreigner GEN.SG.M.1ST.DECL
7 atque and CONJ
8 peregrini of a sojourner GEN.SG.M.2ND.DECL
9 et and CONJ
10 attenuatus having become impoverished NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
11 frater brother NOM.SG.M.3RD.DECL
12 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
13 vendiderit has sold 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
14 se himself ACC.SG.REFL.PRON
15 ei to him DAT.SG.PERS.PRON
16 aut or CONJ
17 cuiquam to anyone DAT.SG.INDEF.PRON
18 de from PREP+ABL
19 stirpe lineage ABL.SG.F.3RD.DECL
20 eius his GEN.SG.POSS.PRON

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: Si invaluerit apud vos manus advenæ atque peregrini — legal condition with perfect subjunctive describing economic dominance.
Compound Genitives: advenæ atque peregrini — dependent genitives specifying whose “hand” gains strength.
Coordinated Condition: et attenuatus frater tuus vendiderit se ei — second perfect subjunctive clause describing self-sale due to poverty.
Alternative Recipient: aut cuiquam de stirpe eius — dative phrase extending the case to any member of the buyer’s lineage.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a legal condition; Translation: if; Notes: Standard casuistic opener in legal discourse.
  2. invaluerit — Lemma: invalesco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the protasis; Translation: has grown strong; Notes: Describes increasing power or wealth.
  3. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: sphere of presence; Translation: among; Notes: Indicates proximity within the community.
  4. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of apud; Translation: you; Notes: Addresses the covenant people.
  5. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, fourth declension; Function: subject; Translation: hand; Notes: Figurative for power or control.
  6. advenæ — Lemma: advena; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, first declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of a foreigner; Notes: Resident alien without land inheritance.
  7. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Closely links related categories.
  8. peregrini — Lemma: peregrinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of a sojourner; Notes: Emphasizes non-native status.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins the two conditions.
  10. attenuatus — Lemma: attenuo; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: having become impoverished; Notes: Indicates loss of means.
  11. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: brother; Notes: Covenant kinship term.
  12. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: your; Notes: Personalizes responsibility.
  13. vendiderit — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the protasis; Translation: has sold; Notes: Typical legal perfect subjunctive.
  14. se — Lemma: se; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object; Translation: himself; Notes: Indicates self-sale.
  15. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: Refers to the foreign buyer.
  16. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: alternative; Translation: or; Notes: Introduces another possible buyer.
  17. cuiquam — Lemma: quisquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to anyone; Notes: Broadens the scope.
  18. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Indicates origin.
  19. stirpe — Lemma: stirps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of de; Translation: lineage; Notes: Refers to family stock.
  20. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies stirpe; Translation: his; Notes: Refers to the foreign master’s family line.

 

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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