Lv 12:3 Et die octavo circumcidetur infantulus:
And on the eighth day the infant shall be circumcised:
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Et |
and |
CONJ |
| 2 |
die |
day |
ABL.SG.M |
| 3 |
octavo |
eighth |
ABL.SG.M |
| 4 |
circumcidetur |
shall be circumcised |
3SG.FUT.PASS.IND |
| 5 |
infantulus |
infant |
NOM.SG.M |
Syntax
Connector: Et — links this ordinance to the preceding regulations
Temporal Phrase: die octavo — ablative of time indicating when the action occurs
Main Predicate: circumcidetur — future passive expressing a legal requirement
Subject: infantulus — the male child to whom the command applies
Morphology
- Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the sequence of legal instructions.
- die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: ablative of time; Translation: day; Notes: Specifies the time when the action is performed.
- octavo — Lemma: octavus; Part of Speech: ordinal adjective; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: modifier of die; Translation: eighth; Notes: Fixed covenantal timing.
- circumcidetur — Lemma: circumcido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: main predicate; Translation: shall be circumcised; Notes: Passive voice reflects ritual action performed upon the child.
- infantulus — Lemma: infantulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: infant; Notes: Diminutive emphasizing the child’s young age.
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.