Leviticus 27:7

Posted on April 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 27:7 Sexagenarius et ultra masculus dabit quindecim siclos: femina decem.

A man of sixty years and beyond will give fifteen shekels: a female, ten.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sexagenarius sixty-year-old NOM.SG.M
2 et and CONJ
3 ultra beyond ADV
4 masculus male NOM.SG.M
5 dabit will give 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
6 quindecim fifteen INDECL.NUM
7 siclos shekels ACC.PL.M
8 femina female NOM.SG.F
9 decem ten INDECL.NUM

Syntax

Main Clause:
Sexagenarius et ultra masculus (Compound subject phrase) + dabit (Finite verb) + quindecim siclos (Direct object)

Here Sexagenarius functions substantively to describe the age classification, while ultra extends the category beyond sixty years. masculus clarifies the sex classification within this bracket.

Elliptical Parallel Clause:
femina (Subject) + implied dabit + implied siclos + decem (Numerical predicate)

The second clause relies entirely on ellipsis, repeating the verbal and nominal framework of the first clause.

Morphology

  1. Sexagenarius — Lemma: sexagenarius; Part of Speech: Adjective (used substantively); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: age classification within the subject phrase; Translation: sixty-year-old; Notes: Derived from sexaginta, it denotes a person belonging to the sixty-year age bracket.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects the age designation with its extension; Translation: and; Notes: Links the threshold category with the inclusive extension expressed by ultra.
  3. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies the age category; Translation: beyond; Notes: Expands the valuation group to include those older than sixty.
  4. masculus — Lemma: masculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: head noun of the subject phrase; Translation: male; Notes: Specifies the sex classification for this valuation tier.
  5. dabit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular, future indicative active; Function: main verb expressing required payment; Translation: will give; Notes: The future indicative expresses legal obligation within the sanctuary assessment system.
  6. quindecim — Lemma: quindecim; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: quantifies siclos; Translation: fifteen; Notes: Remains morphologically unchanged regardless of syntactic position.
  7. siclos — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of dabit; Translation: shekels; Notes: Represents the standard monetary unit in sanctuary valuation.
  8. femina — Lemma: femina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: subject of the implied verb; Translation: female; Notes: Parallel to masculus, forming a balanced valuation distinction.
  9. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: implied direct object of understood dabit; Translation: ten; Notes: The ellipsis depends on structural repetition, indicating ten shekels under the same sanctuary standard.

 

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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