Leviticus 14:53

Posted on April 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 14:53 Cumque dimiserit passerem avolare in agrum libere, orabit pro domo, et iure mundabitur.

And when he shall have released the sparrow to fly freely into the field, he shall pray for the house, and it shall be lawfully cleansed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 dimiserit he shall have released 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
3 passerem sparrow ACC.SG.M
4 avolare to fly away INF
5 in into PREP+ACC
6 agrum field ACC.SG.M
7 libere freely ADV
8 orabit he shall pray 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 pro for PREP+ABL
10 domo house ABL.SG.F
11 et and CONJ
12 iure lawfully ADV
13 mundabitur it shall be cleansed 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque dimiserit passerem avolare in agrum libere sets the completed condition preceding the prayer.
Main Clause: orabit expresses the priestly action.
Prepositional Object: pro domo identifies the beneficiary of the prayer.
Result Clause: et iure mundabitur states the lawful outcome of purification.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: temporal conjunction with enclitic; Function: introduces a temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: Links the condition to the ensuing rite.
  2. dimiserit — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect indicative active; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: he shall have released; Notes: Marks a completed action prior to prayer.
  3. passerem — Lemma: passer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of dimiserit; Translation: sparrow; Notes: The living bird released.
  4. avolare — Lemma: avolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to fly away; Notes: Expresses the purpose of release.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: direction; Translation: into; Notes: Indicates movement toward a place.
  6. agrum — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: field; Notes: Open land beyond habitation.
  7. libere — Lemma: libere; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: manner; Translation: freely; Notes: Emphasizes unrestricted release.
  8. orabit — Lemma: oro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall pray; Notes: Priest’s intercessory act.
  9. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: reference or benefit; Translation: for; Notes: Introduces the object of prayer.
  10. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro; Translation: house; Notes: The dwelling being purified.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins the result statement.
  12. iure — Lemma: ius; Part of Speech: adverbial ablative; Form: ablative singular neuter used adverbially; Function: manner; Translation: lawfully; Notes: According to prescribed ordinance.
  13. mundabitur — Lemma: mundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: result verb; Translation: it shall be cleansed; Notes: Declares the lawful state achieved.

 

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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