Leviticus 17:7

Posted on April 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 17:7 et nequaquam ultra immolabunt hostias suas dæmonibus, cum quibus fornicati sunt. Legitimum sempiternum erit illis et posteris eorum.

and they shall no longer immolate their sacrifices to demons, with whom they have committed fornication. It shall be a perpetual statute for them and for their descendants.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 nequaquam by-no-means ADV
3 ultra any-longer ADV
4 immolabunt they-will-immolate 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
5 hostias sacrifices ACC.PL.F
6 suas their-own ACC.PL.F.PRON.POSS
7 dæmonibus to-demons DAT.PL.M
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 quibus whom ABL.PL.M.REL
10 fornicati having-committed-fornication PTCP.PERF.DEP.NOM.PL.M
11 sunt they-have-been 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
12 Legitimum statute NOM.SG.N
13 sempiternum perpetual NOM.SG.N.ADJ
14 erit shall-be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 illis for-them DAT.PL.M
16 et and CONJ
17 posteris descendants DAT.PL.M
18 eorum their GEN.PL.M.PRON.POSS

Syntax

Main Prohibition: nequaquam ultra immolabunt — emphatic negation with future indicative
Direct Object: hostias suas — the sacrifices belonging to them
Dative of Recipient: dæmonibus — illicit recipients of worship
Relative Clause: cum quibus fornicati sunt — moral characterization of idolatry
Declarative Statute: Legitimum sempiternum erit — enduring legal force
Dative of Advantage: illis et posteris eorum — applies to them and their descendants

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Connects this statute to the preceding instruction.
  2. nequaquam — Lemma: nequaquam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: emphatic negation; Translation: by no means; Notes: Strong prohibition.
  3. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: any longer; Notes: Indicates cessation.
  4. immolabunt — Lemma: immolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: they will immolate; Notes: Cultic act of sacrifice.
  5. hostias — Lemma: hostia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: sacrifices; Notes: Ritual offerings.
  6. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: modifies hostias; Translation: their own; Notes: Reflexive possession.
  7. dæmonibus — Lemma: dæmon; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine plural, second declension; Function: dative of recipient; Translation: to demons; Notes: Illicit spiritual recipients.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: association; Translation: with; Notes: Introduces the relative clause.
  9. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: object of cum; Translation: whom; Notes: Refers back to dæmonibus.
  10. fornicati — Lemma: fornicator; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: perfect nominative masculine plural; Function: part of perfect periphrasis; Translation: having committed fornication; Notes: Metaphor for idolatry.
  11. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present indicative active; Function: auxiliary; Translation: they have been; Notes: Completes the perfect tense.
  12. Legitimum — Lemma: legitimum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject; Translation: statute; Notes: Formal legal designation.
  13. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: modifies legitimum; Translation: perpetual; Notes: Indicates enduring validity.
  14. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: shall be; Notes: Establishes future force.
  15. illis — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: dative masculine plural; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: for them; Notes: Refers to Israel.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links recipients.
  17. posteris — Lemma: posterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine plural, third declension; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: descendants; Notes: Future generations.
  18. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine plural; Function: modifies posteris; Translation: their; Notes: Refers to Israel.

 

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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