Leviticus 19:3

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 19:3 Unusquisque patrem suum, et matrem suam timeat. Sabbata mea custodite. Ego Dominus Deus vester.

Let each one fear his father and his mother. Keep my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Unusquisque each one NOM.SG.M INDEF.PRON
2 patrem father ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL NOUN
3 suum his ACC.SG.M POSS.ADJ
4 et and CONJ
5 matrem mother ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL NOUN
6 suam his ACC.SG.F POSS.ADJ
7 timeat let him fear 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 Sabbata Sabbaths ACC.PL.N 2ND DECL NOUN
9 mea my ACC.PL.N POSS.ADJ
10 custodite keep 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
11 Ego I NOM.SG PERS.PRON
12 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
13 Deus God NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
14 vester your NOM.SG.M POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Exhortation: Unusquisque (subject) + timeat (jussive verb)

Object(s): patrem suum and matrem suam (direct objects of reverence)

Secondary Command: custodite (imperative) + Sabbata mea (direct object)

Speaker Identification: Ego Dominus Deus vester (self-identifying clause grounding authority)

Morphology

  1. Unusquisque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of timeat; Translation: each one; Notes: distributive force emphasizes individual responsibility.
  2. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular third declension; Function: direct object of timeat; Translation: father; Notes: object of filial reverence.
  3. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: modifies patrem; Translation: his; Notes: reflexive possessive referring back to the subject.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links objects; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive coordination.
  5. matrem — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular third declension; Function: second direct object of timeat; Translation: mother; Notes: paired with patrem for parental scope.
  6. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: modifies matrem; Translation: his; Notes: maintains agreement with feminine noun.
  7. timeat — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: jussive command; Translation: let him fear; Notes: subjunctive conveys exhortation in legal style.
  8. Sabbata — Lemma: sabbatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter plural second declension; Function: object of custodite; Translation: Sabbaths; Notes: plural reflects recurring sacred times.
  9. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative neuter plural; Function: modifies Sabbata; Translation: my; Notes: emphasizes divine ownership.
  10. custodite — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present imperative active; Function: direct command; Translation: keep; Notes: plural imperative addresses the community collectively.
  11. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of identification; Translation: I; Notes: explicit pronoun adds solemn emphasis.
  12. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: apposition to Ego; Translation: LORD; Notes: rendered in all caps for YHWH.
  13. Deus — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: appositional title; Translation: God; Notes: reinforces divine authority.
  14. vester — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: modifies Deus; Translation: your; Notes: marks covenant relationship with the people.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Leviticus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.