Leviticus 19:9

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

9 Cumque messueris segetes terræ tuæ, non tondebis usque ad solum superficiem terræ: nec remanentes spicas colliges.

And when you have harvested the crops of your land, you shall not cut the surface of the land all the way to the ground; nor shall you gather the remaining ears.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ+ENCL
2 messueris you have harvested 2SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 segetes crops ACC.PL.F 3RD DECL NOUN
4 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN
5 tuæ your GEN.SG.F POSS.ADJ
6 non not ADV
7 tondebis you shall cut 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 usque all the way ADV
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 solum ground ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL NOUN
11 superficiem surface ACC.SG.F 5TH DECL NOUN
12 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN
13 nec nor CONJ
14 remanentes remaining ACC.PL.F PRES.PTCP.ACT
15 spicas ears of grain ACC.PL.F 1ST DECL NOUN
16 colliges you shall gather 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque messueris (temporal conjunction with perfect subjunctive)

Direct Object: segetes terræ tuæ (accusative object with double genitive modifier)

Main Prohibition: non tondebis (future indicative with prohibitive force)

Extent Phrase: usque ad solum superficiem terræ (adverb + prepositional phrase expressing limit)

Coordinated Prohibition: nec colliges (negative coordination)

Direct Object: remanentes spicas (participle modifying accusative noun)

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: temporal conjunction with enclitic; Function: introduces a temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: enclitic -que links the clause to preceding legislation.
  2. messueris — Lemma: meto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: you have harvested; Notes: perfect subjunctive is standard after cum in future-oriented legal contexts.
  3. segetes — Lemma: seges; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural third declension; Function: direct object of messueris; Translation: crops; Notes: refers to standing grain fields.
  4. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular first declension; Function: modifies segetes; Translation: of the land; Notes: establishes ownership and location.
  5. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: further modifies terræ; Translation: your; Notes: personalizes responsibility for compliance.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates the main verb; Translation: not; Notes: standard marker of prohibition.
  7. tondebis — Lemma: tondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main prohibitive command; Translation: you shall cut; Notes: future indicative functions prescriptively in legal texts.
  8. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: degree/extent; Function: intensifies the limit of action; Translation: all the way; Notes: emphasizes totality that is being forbidden.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: marks endpoint; Translation: to; Notes: expresses motion or extent toward a limit.
  10. solum — Lemma: solum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: ground; Notes: denotes the bare soil level.
  11. superficiem — Lemma: superficies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular fifth declension; Function: accusative of extent in apposition to solum; Translation: surface; Notes: clarifies the upper layer of the land.
  12. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular first declension; Function: modifies superficiem; Translation: of the land; Notes: repeats for emphasis and clarity.
  13. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: links a second prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: stronger than simple et non.
  14. remanentes — Lemma: remaneo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative feminine plural present participle active; Function: modifies spicas; Translation: remaining; Notes: highlights what is intentionally left behind.
  15. spicas — Lemma: spica; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural first declension; Function: direct object of colliges; Translation: ears of grain; Notes: refers to individual heads left after harvesting.
  16. colliges — Lemma: colligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: second prohibitive command; Translation: you shall gather; Notes: future indicative again expresses binding law.

 

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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