Leviticus 25:48

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:48 post venditionem potest redimi. Qui voluerit ex fratribus suis, redimet eum,

after the sale he may be redeemed. Whoever among his brothers is willing shall redeem him,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 post after PREP+ACC
2 venditionem sale ACC.SG.F.3RD.DECL
3 potest he is able / may 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
4 redimi to be redeemed PRES.INF.PASS
5 Qui whoever NOM.SG.M.REL
6 voluerit is willing 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
7 ex from PREP+ABL
8 fratribus brothers ABL.PL.M.3RD.DECL
9 suis his ABL.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
10 redimet will redeem 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
11 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON

Syntax

Temporal Frame: post venditionem — prepositional phrase establishing the time after the transaction.
Main Possibility Clause: potest redimi — present indicative with passive infinitive expressing legal permissibility of redemption.
Relative Provision: Qui voluerit ex fratribus suis — relative clause with perfect subjunctive defining an eligible redeemer by willingness and kinship.
Main Act: redimet eum — future indicative prescribing the act of redemption.

Morphology

  1. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: temporal marker; Translation: after; Notes: Sets the legal timing for redemption.
  2. venditionem — Lemma: venditio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of post; Translation: sale; Notes: Refers to the completed act of self-sale.
  3. potest — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary of ability/permission; Translation: he may; Notes: Expresses lawful possibility rather than mere capability.
  4. redimi — Lemma: redimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to be redeemed; Notes: Passive highlights the beneficiary of the act.
  5. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of voluerit; Translation: whoever; Notes: Introduces an open-ended legal provision.
  6. voluerit — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: is willing; Notes: Perfect subjunctive typical of legal style.
  7. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Specifies membership within a group.
  8. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, third declension; Function: object of ex; Translation: brothers; Notes: Denotes covenant kin.
  9. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratribus; Translation: his; Notes: Reflexive possession referring to the sold brother.
  10. redimet — Lemma: redimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: will redeem; Notes: Future indicative carries prescriptive force.
  11. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to the brother sold into service.

 

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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