Leviticus 21:12

Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

12 Nec egredietur de sanctis, ne polluat Sanctuarium Domini, quia oleum sanctæ unctionis Dei sui super eum est. ego Dominus.

Nor shall he go out from the holy places, lest he profane the Sanctuary of the LORD, because the oil of holy anointing of his God is upon him. I am the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nec nor CONJ
2 egredietur he shall go out 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
3 de from PREP+ABL
4 sanctis holy places ABL.PL.N (ADJ)
5 ne lest CONJ
6 polluat he profane 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 Sanctuarium Sanctuary ACC.SG.N (2ND DECL)
8 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M (2ND DECL)
9 quia because CONJ
10 oleum oil NOM.SG.N (2ND DECL)
11 sanctæ holy GEN.SG.F (ADJ)
12 unctionis of anointing GEN.SG.F (3RD DECL)
13 Dei of God GEN.SG.M (2ND DECL)
14 sui his own GEN.SG.M (POSS)
15 super upon PREP+ACC
16 eum him ACC.SG.M (PERS)
17 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
18 ego I NOM.SG (PERS)
19 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M (2ND DECL)

Syntax

Negative Injunction: Nec egredietur de sanctis — future deponent indicative with coordinating negation, prohibiting departure from the sacred precincts.

Final Clause: ne polluat Sanctuarium Domini — purpose clause with present subjunctive expressing prevention of profanation.

Causal Clause: quia oleum sanctæ unctionis Dei sui super eum est — explanatory ground stating the enduring consecration resting upon him.

Divine Seal: ego Dominus — first-person divine self-identification underscoring authority.

Morphology

  1. Nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Continues a series of prohibitions.
  2. egredietur — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: third person singular future indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall go out”; Notes: Deponent in form with active sense.
  3. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation/source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks departure point.
  4. sanctis — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: ablative neuter plural; Function: object of de; Translation: “holy places”; Notes: Refers to the sacred precincts.
  5. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Governs a subjunctive verb.
  6. polluat — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “he profane”; Notes: Expresses potential defilement to be avoided.
  7. Sanctuarium — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “Sanctuary”; Notes: Central sacred space.
  8. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  9. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Grounds the prohibition.
  10. oleum — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject; Translation: “oil”; Notes: Sacred anointing substance.
  11. sanctæ — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: modifies unctionis; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Qualifies the anointing.
  12. unctionis — Lemma: unctio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: genitive of description; Translation: “of anointing”; Notes: Ritual consecration act.
  13. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Identifies the divine source.
  14. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive possession.
  15. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: position; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates resting upon a person.
  16. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of super; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the high priest.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: States enduring condition.
  18. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Divine self-assertion.
  19. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: predicate title; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Covenant name of YHWH.

 

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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