Leviticus 13:49

Posted on April 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 13:49 si alba vel rufa macula fuerit infecta, lepra reputabitur, ostendeturque sacerdoti.

if a white or reddish spot has been infected, it shall be regarded as leprosy, and it shall be shown to the priest.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 si if CONJ
2 alba white NOM.SG.F ADJ.POS
3 vel or CONJ
4 rufa reddish NOM.SG.F ADJ.POS
5 macula spot NOM.SG.F
6 fuerit has been 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
7 infecta infected NOM.SG.F PTCP.PERF.PASS
8 lepra leprosy NOM.SG.F
9 reputabitur will be regarded 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
10 ostendeturque and will be shown 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
11 sacerdoti to the priest DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Conditional Clause: si alba vel rufa macula fuerit infecta sets the diagnostic condition using a perfect subjunctive.
Judicial Declaration: lepra reputabitur assigns the legal status by passive future indicative.
Procedural Result: ostendeturque sacerdoti states the required action with dative of agent or recipient.

Morphology

  1. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces a condition; Translation: if; Notes: Opens a legal contingency.
  2. alba — Lemma: albus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine positive; Function: modifies macula; Translation: white; Notes: One diagnostic color.
  3. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins alternatives; Translation: or; Notes: Indicates either option.
  4. rufa — Lemma: rufus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine positive; Function: modifies macula; Translation: reddish; Notes: Alternate diagnostic color.
  5. macula — Lemma: macula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of the condition; Translation: spot; Notes: Visible mark under inspection.
  6. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: auxiliary in conditional clause; Translation: has been; Notes: Subjunctive suits indefinite legal cases.
  7. infecta — Lemma: inficio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive; Function: predicate participle; Translation: infected; Notes: Describes contamination.
  8. lepra — Lemma: lepra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: leprosy; Notes: Legal diagnosis.
  9. reputabitur — Lemma: reputo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: judicial declaration; Translation: will be regarded; Notes: Establishes official status.
  10. ostendeturque — Lemma: ostendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: procedural command; Translation: and will be shown; Notes: Enclitic joins this action to the prior ruling.
  11. sacerdoti — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the priest; Notes: Authorized examiner.

 

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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