Leviticus 18:19

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:19 Ad mulierem, quæ patitur menstrua, non accedes, nec revelabis fœditatem eius.

To a woman, who suffers menstrual flow, you shall not approach, nor shall you uncover her uncleanness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ad to PREP+ACC
2 mulierem woman ACC.SG.F
3 quæ who NOM.SG.F.REL
4 patitur suffers 3SG.PRES.DEP.IND
5 menstrua menstrual-flow ACC.SG.N
6 non not ADV
7 accedes you-shall-approach 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 nec nor CONJ
9 revelabis you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 fœditatem uncleanness ACC.SG.F
11 eius her GEN.SG.PRON.POSS

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non accedes — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Prepositional Object: ad mulierem — person to whom approach is forbidden
Relative Clause: quæ patitur menstrua — defines the woman by her ritual condition
Coordinated Prohibition: nec revelabis fœditatem eius — parallel ban on sexual exposure

Morphology

  1. Ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: direction toward; Translation: to; Notes: Introduces the prohibited approach.
  2. mulierem — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: woman; Notes: General term without marital specification.
  3. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers back to mulierem.
  4. patitur — Lemma: patior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative deponent; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: suffers; Notes: Deponent verb expressing ongoing condition.
  5. menstrua — Lemma: menstruum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter plural used substantively; Function: object of patitur; Translation: menstrual flow; Notes: Refers to the period of ritual impurity.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Marks absolute prohibition.
  7. accedes — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: you shall approach; Notes: Legal future with imperative force.
  8. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Joins parallel prohibitions.
  9. revelabis — Lemma: revelo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: you shall uncover; Notes: Synonymous legal verb reinforcing the ban.
  10. fœditatem — Lemma: fœditas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: uncleanness; Notes: Cultic impurity associated with menstrual state.
  11. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies fœditatem; Translation: her; Notes: Refers back to the woman described.

 

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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