Leviticus 14:4

Posted on April 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 14:4 præcipiet ei, qui purificatur, ut offerat duos passeres vivos pro se, quibus vesci licitum est, et lignum cedrinum, vermiculumque et hyssopum.

he shall command, the one who is being purified, to offer for himself two living sparrows, which are permitted to be eaten, and cedar wood, and scarlet thread and hyssop.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 præcipiet he shall command 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 ei to him DAT.SG.M PERS.PRON
3 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
4 purificatur is being purified 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
5 ut that CONJ
6 offerat he may offer 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
7 duos two ACC.PL.M NUM
8 passeres sparrows ACC.PL.M
9 vivos living ACC.PL.M ADJ.POS
10 pro for PREP+ABL
11 se himself ABL.SG REFL.PRON
12 quibus which ABL.PL.M REL.PRON
13 vesci to eat PRES.DEP.INF
14 licitum permitted NOM.SG.N ADJ.POS
15 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 et and CONJ
17 lignum wood ACC.SG.N
18 cedrinum cedar ACC.SG.N ADJ.POS
19 vermiculumque and scarlet thread ACC.SG.M NOUN+ENCL
20 et and CONJ
21 hyssopum hyssop ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Directive: præcipiet issues the priestly command
Indirect Object: ei identifies the recipient of the command
Relative Identification: qui purificatur specifies the person undergoing purification
Purpose Clause: ut offerat introduces the required action
Direct Objects: duos passeres vivos names the principal offering
Benefactive Phrase: pro se marks representation on one’s own behalf
Relative Qualification: quibus vesci licitum est restricts the birds to permitted kinds
Additional Items: lignum cedrinum vermiculumque et hyssopum lists the ritual materials

Morphology

  1. præcipiet — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: issues an authoritative command; Translation: he shall command; Notes: Establishes priestly authority.
  2. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: Refers to the person being purified.
  3. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Links to the preceding dative.
  4. purificatur — Lemma: purifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative passive; Function: states ongoing ritual state; Translation: is being purified; Notes: Passive highlights the ritual process.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: Sets the intended action.
  6. offerat — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: purpose verb; Translation: he may offer; Notes: Subjunctive required after ut.
  7. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies passeres; Translation: two; Notes: Specifies quantity.
  8. passeres — Lemma: passer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: sparrows; Notes: Living birds required.
  9. vivos — Lemma: vivus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine positive; Function: modifies passeres; Translation: living; Notes: Distinguishes from sacrificial slaughter.
  10. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: expresses benefit; Translation: for; Notes: Indicates representation.
  11. se — Lemma: se; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of pro; Translation: himself; Notes: The beneficiary is the same person.
  12. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of the infinitive vesci; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the birds.
  13. vesci — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present deponent infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to eat; Notes: Deponent with active meaning.
  14. licitum — Lemma: licitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter positive; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: permitted; Notes: Expresses lawful allowance.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Completes the impersonal construction.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links ritual items.
  17. lignum — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: additional object; Translation: wood; Notes: Material component.
  18. cedrinum — Lemma: cedrinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter positive; Function: modifies lignum; Translation: cedar; Notes: Symbolic durable wood.
  19. vermiculumque — Lemma: vermiculus; Part of Speech: noun with enclitic conjunction; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: coordinated object; Translation: and scarlet thread; Notes: The enclitic connects closely to the list.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the list.
  21. hyssopum — Lemma: hyssopus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: final object; Translation: hyssop; Notes: Plant used in purification rites.

 

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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