Leviticus 25:53

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:53 quibus ante servivit mercedibus imputatis: non affliget eum violenter in conspectu tuo.

with the wages counted for which he served before; he shall not oppress him violently in your sight.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quibus for which ABL.PL.F.REL
2 ante before ADV
3 servivit he served 3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
4 mercedibus wages ABL.PL.F.3RD.DECL
5 imputatis having been reckoned ABL.PL.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
6 non not ADV
7 affliget he shall oppress 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
8 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON
9 violenter violently ADV
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 conspectu sight ABL.SG.M.4TH.DECL
12 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: quibus … mercedibus imputatis — establishes the accounting condition, with prior wages reckoned.
Temporal Modifier: ante servivit — specifies the period of service considered in the reckoning.
Main Prohibition: non affliget eum violenter — future indicative expressing a legal prohibition against harsh treatment.
Locative Phrase: in conspectu tuo — situates the prohibition within the community’s oversight.

Morphology

  1. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: reference within ablative absolute; Translation: for which; Notes: Refers to the wages being accounted.
  2. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: before; Notes: Indicates prior service.
  3. servivit — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: he served; Notes: Describes completed service.
  4. mercedibus — Lemma: merces; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, third declension; Function: element of the ablative absolute; Translation: wages; Notes: Compensation basis for valuation.
  5. imputatis — Lemma: imputo; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative absolute predicate; Translation: having been reckoned; Notes: Indicates formal accounting.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Negates the prohibition clause.
  7. affliget — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall oppress; Notes: Prescriptive future expressing prohibition.
  8. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to the redeemed brother.
  9. violenter — Lemma: violenter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: manner; Translation: violently; Notes: Specifies the forbidden mode of treatment.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: Introduces the sphere of observation.
  11. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, fourth declension; Function: object of in; Translation: sight; Notes: Implies public visibility and accountability.
  12. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies conspectu; Translation: your; Notes: Addresses the covenant community.

 

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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