Leviticus 11:23

Posted on April 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 11:23 Quidquid autem ex volucribus quattuor tantum habet pedes, execrabile erit vobis:

But whatever among winged creatures has only four feet, shall be execrable to you;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quidquid whatever NOM.SG.N.INDEF
2 autem but CONJ
3 ex from among PREP+ABL
4 volucribus winged creatures ABL.PL.F
5 quattuor four INDECL
6 tantum only ADV
7 habet has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 pedes feet ACC.PL.M
9 execrabile execrable NOM.SG.N
10 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 vobis to you DAT.PL

Syntax

Main Clause: Quidquid (subject) + erit (copula)
Predicate: execrabile — evaluative legal judgment
Partitive Phrase: ex volucribus — restriction to winged creatures
Restrictive Description: quattuor tantum habet pedes — defining criterion
Dative of Reference: vobis — community addressed

Morphology

  1. Quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject; Translation: whatever; Notes: Introduces a general rule without species specification.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: contrastive connector; Translation: but; Notes: Marks contrast with the prior allowance.
  3. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: partitive source; Translation: from among; Notes: Indicates selection from a larger class.
  4. volucribus — Lemma: volucris; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine plural; Function: object of ex; Translation: winged creatures; Notes: Broad category including flying beings.
  5. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifier of pedes; Translation: four; Notes: Numerical specification.
  6. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: limiter; Translation: only; Notes: Restricts the count to four.
  7. habet — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: predicate verb; Translation: has; Notes: States possession of a physical trait.
  8. pedes — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object; Translation: feet; Notes: Limbs used for locomotion.
  9. execrabile — Lemma: execrabilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: execrable; Notes: Strong term of ritual condemnation.
  10. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: will be; Notes: Establishes continuing legal force.
  11. vobis — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of reference; Translation: to you; Notes: Addresses Israel collectively.

 

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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