Leviticus 15:12

Posted on April 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 15:12 Vas fictile quod tetigerit, confringetur: vas autem ligneum lavabitur aqua.

A vessel of clay which he shall have touched, shall be broken; but a vessel of wood shall be washed with water.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vas vessel NOM.SG.N
2 fictile of clay NOM.SG.N ADJ
3 quod which NOM.SG.N REL.PRON
4 tetigerit shall have touched 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
5 confringetur shall be broken 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
6 vas vessel NOM.SG.N
7 autem but CONJ
8 ligneum of wood NOM.SG.N ADJ
9 lavabitur shall be washed 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
10 aqua with water ABL.SG.F

Syntax

First Clause: Vas fictile is the subject with confringetur as the passive predicate
Relative Clause: quod tetigerit qualifies the clay vessel by contact
Adversative Coordination: vas autem ligneum introduces a contrasted case
Second Predicate: lavabitur aqua states the alternative treatment for a wooden vessel

Morphology

  1. Vas — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: vessel; Notes: General term for a container.
  2. fictile — Lemma: fictilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies vas; Translation: of clay; Notes: Indicates earthenware material.
  3. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to vas fictile.
  4. tetigerit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect indicative active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: shall have touched; Notes: Completed contact triggers the rule.
  5. confringetur — Lemma: confringo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: main predicate; Translation: shall be broken; Notes: Earthenware cannot be purified and must be destroyed.
  6. vas — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of second clause; Translation: vessel; Notes: Repeated for contrast.
  7. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adversative connector; Translation: but; Notes: Marks contrast with the previous case.
  8. ligneum — Lemma: ligneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies vas; Translation: of wood; Notes: Wooden vessels are treated differently.
  9. lavabitur — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: predicate; Translation: shall be washed; Notes: Washing suffices for purification.
  10. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with water; Notes: Specifies the means of cleansing.

 

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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