Leviticus 15:2

Posted on April 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 15:2 Loquimini filiis Israel, et dicite eis: Vir, qui patitur fluxum seminis, immundus erit.

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them: ‘A man who suffers a discharge of seed shall be unclean.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Loquimini speak 2PL.PRES.IMP.MOOD.DEP
2 filiis to the sons DAT.PL.M
3 Israel Israel INDECL.PROPN
4 et and CONJ
5 dicite say 2PL.PRES.IMP.MOOD.ACT
6 eis to them DAT.PL PERS.PRON
7 Vir man NOM.SG.M
8 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
9 patitur suffers 3SG.PRES.IND.DEP
10 fluxum discharge ACC.SG.M
11 seminis of seed GEN.SG.N
12 immundus unclean NOM.SG.M ADJ
13 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Imperative Chain: Loquimini and dicite form coordinated commands directed to the leaders.
Indirect Object: filiis Israel and eis specify the recipients of the instruction.
Main Clause: Vir is the subject with the relative clause qui patitur fluxum seminis qualifying it.
Predicate: immundus erit declares the ritual status resulting from the condition.

Morphology

  1. Loquimini — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: second person plural present imperative; Function: command; Translation: speak; Notes: Deponent imperative with active meaning.
  2. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the sons; Notes: Marks the audience addressed.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: Israel; Notes: The covenant people.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links the two imperatives.
  5. dicite — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present imperative active; Function: command; Translation: say; Notes: Introduces the content to be spoken.
  6. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: Refers back to the sons of Israel.
  7. Vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: man; Notes: Introduces the case under consideration.
  8. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Modifies vir.
  9. patitur — Lemma: patior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person singular present indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: suffers; Notes: Describes ongoing condition.
  10. fluxum — Lemma: fluxus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: discharge; Notes: Physical emission under legal evaluation.
  11. seminis — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of seed; Notes: Specifies the nature of the discharge.
  12. immundus — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: unclean; Notes: Ritual status assigned.
  13. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: shall be; Notes: Establishes future legal condition.

 

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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