Leviticus 26:3

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

3 Si in præceptis meis ambulaveritis, et mandata mea custodieritis, et feceritis ea, dabo vobis pluvias temporibus suis,

If you walk in my precepts, and keep my commandments, and do them, I will give you rains in their seasons,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 præceptis precepts ABL.PL.N.2ND.DECL
4 meis my ABL.PL.N.POSS.ADJ
5 ambulaveritis you have walked 2PL.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
6 et and CONJ
7 mandata commandments ACC.PL.N.2ND.DECL
8 mea my ACC.PL.N.POSS.ADJ
9 custodieritis you have kept 2PL.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
10 et and CONJ
11 feceritis you have done 2PL.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
12 ea them ACC.PL.N.DEM.PRON
13 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT
14 vobis to you DAT.PL.PERS.PRON
15 pluvias rains ACC.PL.F.1ST.DECL
16 temporibus seasons ABL.PL.N.3RD.DECL
17 suis their ABL.PL.N.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: Si in præceptis meis ambulaveritis — perfect subjunctive expressing covenantal obedience as a completed condition.
Coordinated Conditions: et mandata mea custodieritis et feceritis ea — parallel perfect subjunctives intensifying comprehensive obedience.
Main Apodosis: dabo vobis pluvias — future indicative promising divine response.
Temporal Qualification: temporibus suis — ablative of time specifying orderly, appointed seasons.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a conditional clause; Translation: if; Notes: Opens a covenantal condition.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: sphere; Translation: in; Notes: Indicates the domain of conduct.
  3. præceptis — Lemma: præceptum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: precepts; Notes: Prescriptive instructions.
  4. meis — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies præceptis; Translation: my; Notes: Emphasizes divine origin.
  5. ambulaveritis — Lemma: ambulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the protasis; Translation: you have walked; Notes: Metaphor for sustained conduct.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links conditions.
  7. mandata — Lemma: mandatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: commandments; Notes: Authoritative directives.
  8. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies mandata; Translation: my; Notes: Stresses covenant ownership.
  9. custodieritis — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural perfect subjunctive active; Function: coordinated condition; Translation: you have kept; Notes: Implies careful observance.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the triad.
  11. feceritis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural perfect subjunctive active; Function: coordinated condition; Translation: you have done; Notes: Emphasizes action, not mere intent.
  12. ea — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to the commandments.
  13. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: I will give; Notes: Promissory divine action.
  14. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: Covenant beneficiaries.
  15. pluvias — Lemma: pluvia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: rains; Notes: Agricultural blessing.
  16. temporibus — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, third declension; Function: ablative of time; Translation: seasons; Notes: Appointed periods.
  17. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies temporibus; Translation: their; Notes: Properly ordered times.

 

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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