Leviticus 11:38

Posted on April 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 11:38 Si autem quispiam aqua sementem perfuderit, et postea morticinis tacta fuerit, illico polluetur.

But if someone has sprinkled seed with water, and afterward it has been touched by carcasses, it shall immediately be defiled.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 autem but ADV
3 quispiam someone INDEF.NOM.SG.M
4 aqua water ABL.SG.F
5 sementem seed ACC.SG.F
6 perfuderit has sprinkled 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
7 et and CONJ
8 postea afterward ADV
9 morticinis by carcasses ABL.PL.N
10 tacta touched NOM.SG.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
11 fuerit has been 3SG.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ
12 illico immediately ADV
13 polluetur will be defiled 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND

Syntax

Conditional Frame: Si autem quispiam aqua sementem perfuderit — initial condition introducing human action
Coordinated Condition: et postea morticinis tacta fuerit — subsequent contact defining contamination
Main Result: illico polluetur — immediate legal consequence

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Opens a legal contingency.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: contrastive particle; Translation: but; Notes: Marks a contrasting case to the prior rule.
  3. quispiam — Lemma: quispiam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: someone; Notes: Non specific human agent.
  4. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: means; Translation: water; Notes: Instrument used in sprinkling.
  5. sementem — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object; Translation: seed; Notes: Seed prepared for sowing.
  6. perfuderit — Lemma: perfundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: has sprinkled; Notes: Action rendering the seed susceptible.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links a further condition.
  8. postea — Lemma: postea; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: afterward; Notes: Indicates sequence of events.
  9. morticinis — Lemma: morticinum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter plural; Function: agent with passive participle; Translation: by carcasses; Notes: Source of impurity.
  10. tacta — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative feminine singular perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: touched; Notes: Agrees with sementem.
  11. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active subjunctive; Function: auxiliary of conditional clause; Translation: has been; Notes: Completes the conditional sequence.
  12. illico — Lemma: illico; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal emphasis; Translation: immediately; Notes: Stresses immediacy of the effect.
  13. polluetur — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: main predicate; Translation: will be defiled; Notes: Legal impurity results without delay.

 

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.