Leviticus 19:27

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

27 Neque in rotundum attondebitis comam: nec radetis barbam.

Neither shall you trim the hair in a rounded shape, nor shall you shave the beard.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Neque neither CONJ
2 in into / in PREP+ACC
3 rotundum round shape ACC.SG.N ADJ
4 attondebitis you shall trim 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
5 comam hair ACC.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN
6 nec nor CONJ
7 radetis you shall shave 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 barbam beard ACC.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN

Syntax

First Prohibition: Neque in rotundum attondebitis comam (negative coordination with future indicative expressing a legal ban; prepositional phrase of manner)

Second Prohibition: nec radetis barbam (coordinated negative future stating an additional prohibition)

Morphology

  1. Neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: introduces a prohibition in coordination with others; Translation: neither; Notes: commonly used to extend a series of negative commands.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: expresses manner or result; Translation: into / in; Notes: here indicates the resulting shape of the action.
  3. rotundum — Lemma: rotundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: object of in; Translation: round; Notes: denotes a circular or rounded form.
  4. attondebitis — Lemma: attondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: you shall trim; Notes: refers to cutting hair short in a specific fashion.
  5. comam — Lemma: coma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular first declension; Function: direct object of attondebitis; Translation: hair; Notes: specifically the hair of the head.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: links a further prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: strengthens the cumulative ban.
  7. radetis — Lemma: rado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: main verb of the second prohibition; Translation: you shall shave; Notes: implies complete removal rather than trimming.
  8. barbam — Lemma: barba; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular first declension; Function: direct object of radetis; Translation: beard; Notes: facial hair, culturally significant in ritual contexts.

 

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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