Leviticus 27:8

Posted on April 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 27:8 Si pauper fuerit, et æstimationem reddere non valebit, stabit coram sacerdote: et quantum ille æstimaverit, et viderit eum posse reddere, tantum dabit.

If he will have been poor, and will not have been able to render the valuation, he will stand before the priest; and as much as that one will have assessed, and will have seen him able to render, so much he will give.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 pauper poor NOM.SG.M
3 fuerit will have been 3SG.FUTP.IND.ACT
4 et and CONJ
5 æstimationem valuation ACC.SG.F
6 reddere to render PRES.ACT.INF
7 non not ADV
8 valebit will be able 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
9 stabit will stand 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
10 coram before PREP+ABL
11 sacerdote priest ABL.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 quantum as much as REL.ACC.SG.N
14 ille that one NOM.SG.M.DEM
15 æstimaverit will have assessed 3SG.FUTP.IND.ACT
16 et and CONJ
17 viderit will have seen 3SG.FUTP.IND.ACT
18 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON.PERS
19 posse to be able PRES.ACT.INF
20 reddere to render PRES.ACT.INF
21 tantum so much ACC.SG.N.DEM
22 dabit he will give 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT

Syntax

Conditional Clause:
Si + pauper fuerit (predicate construction) + coordinated clause æstimationem reddere non valebit (object infinitive construction)

Main Clause 1:
stabit (Verb) + coram sacerdote (Prepositional phrase of presence)

Comparative / Correlative Construction:
quantum (relative measure) + ille æstimaverit et viderit eum posse reddere (relative clause)
tantum dabit (correlative main clause)

The structure forms a legal proportional formula: “as much as … so much …”

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Establishes a contingency modifying prior valuation rules.
  2. pauper — Lemma: pauper; Part of Speech: Adjective (used substantively); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative with fuerit; Translation: poor; Notes: Functions substantively to describe economic status.
  3. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect indicative active; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: will have been; Notes: Marks completed state prior to required action.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates conditions; Translation: and; Notes: Links poverty with inability to pay.
  5. æstimationem — Lemma: æstimatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of reddere; Translation: valuation; Notes: Refers to assessed sanctuary value.
  6. reddere — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with valebit; Translation: to render; Notes: Indicates payment or repayment obligation.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates valebit; Translation: not; Notes: Directly modifies the verb of ability.
  8. valebit — Lemma: valeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd singular future indicative active; Function: verb governing infinitive; Translation: will be able; Notes: Expresses financial incapacity.
  9. stabit — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: will stand; Notes: Indicates formal presentation before priestly authority.
  10. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase of presence; Translation: before; Notes: Denotes official examination setting.
  11. sacerdote — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: priest; Notes: Priest acts as valuation authority.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates verbs in relative clause; Translation: and; Notes: Links assessment and evaluation.
  13. quantum — Lemma: quantum; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun/adverbial accusative; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces proportional clause; Translation: as much as; Notes: Correlates with tantum to form measure expression.
  14. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of æstimaverit and viderit; Translation: that one; Notes: Refers to the priest as assessor.
  15. æstimaverit — Lemma: æstimo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect indicative active; Function: first verb of proportional clause; Translation: will have assessed; Notes: Indicates formal determination of amount.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates verbs; Translation: and; Notes: Links judgment and perception.
  17. viderit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect indicative active; Function: second verb of proportional clause; Translation: will have seen; Notes: Expresses discernment of ability.
  18. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: subject of infinitive posse; Translation: him; Notes: Accusative subject in indirect statement construction.
  19. posse — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to be able; Notes: Expresses capacity evaluated by priest.
  20. reddere — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complements posse; Translation: to render; Notes: Repeats earlier obligation term for consistency.
  21. tantum — Lemma: tantus; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: correlative measure; Translation: so much; Notes: Completes quantum–tantum proportional structure.
  22. dabit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd singular future indicative active; Function: main verb of correlative clause; Translation: he will give; Notes: Final obligation adjusted to priestly assessment.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Leviticus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.