Leviticus 26:40

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

40 donec confiteantur iniquitates suas, et maiorum suorum, quibus prævaricati sunt in me, et ambulaverunt ex adverso mihi.

until they confess their iniquities and those of their ancestors, by which they acted faithlessly against me, and walked in opposition to me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 donec until CONJ
2 confiteantur they confess 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
3 iniquitates iniquities ACC.PL.F.3RD.DECL
4 suas their own ACC.PL.F.POSS.ADJ
5 et and CONJ
6 maiorum of ancestors GEN.PL.M.3RD.DECL
7 suorum their GEN.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
8 quibus by which ABL.PL.REL.PRON
9 prævaricati having acted faithlessly NOM.PL.M.PERF.PTCP.DEP
10 sunt they have 3PL.PRES.IND.ACT
11 in against PREP+ACC
12 me me ACC.SG.PERS.PRON
13 et and CONJ
14 ambulaverunt they walked 3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
15 ex out of PREP+ABL
16 adverso opposition ABL.SG.N.NOUN
17 mihi to me DAT.SG.PERS.PRON

Syntax

Temporal Limit: donec confiteantur — conjunction with present subjunctive marking the terminus of affliction.
Object of Confession: iniquitates suas et maiorum suorum — coordinated accusatives specifying personal and ancestral guilt.
Relative Instrument: quibus prævaricati sunt in me — relative clause explaining the means by which guilt was incurred.
Parallel Charge: et ambulaverunt ex adverso mihi — coordinated clause describing sustained opposition in conduct.

Morphology

  1. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: temporal limit; Translation: until; Notes: Sets the condition ending judgment.
  2. confiteantur — Lemma: confiteor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive deponent; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: they confess; Notes: Deponent verb expressing open acknowledgment.
  3. iniquitates — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: iniquities; Notes: Moral offenses requiring confession.
  4. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies iniquitates; Translation: their own; Notes: Emphasizes personal responsibility.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins personal and ancestral guilt.
  6. maiorum — Lemma: maiores; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, third declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of ancestors; Notes: Refers to forebears.
  7. suorum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies maiorum; Translation: their; Notes: Links ancestry to the present group.
  8. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: instrument; Translation: by which; Notes: Introduces the means of transgression.
  9. prævaricati — Lemma: prævaricor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect deponent participle; Function: verbal adjective with sunt; Translation: having acted faithlessly; Notes: Legal term for covenantal breach.
  10. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present indicative active; Function: auxiliary; Translation: they have; Notes: Forms the perfect with the deponent participle.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: opposition; Translation: against; Notes: Expresses hostility toward a person.
  12. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of in; Translation: me; Notes: Direct reference to the speaker.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds a parallel accusation.
  14. ambulaverunt — Lemma: ambulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: they walked; Notes: Idiom for habitual conduct.
  15. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: source/manner; Translation: out of; Notes: Here forming an idiom of opposition.
  16. adverso — Lemma: adversum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of ex; Translation: opposition; Notes: Fixed expression meaning hostile stance.
  17. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to me; Notes: Marks the one opposed.

 

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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