Leviticus 21:6

Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 21:6 Sancti erunt Deo suo, et non polluent nomen eius: incensum enim Domini, et panes Dei sui offerunt, et ideo sancti erunt.

They shall be holy to their God, and they shall not profane his name; for they offer the offering by fire of the LORD and the bread of their God, and therefore they shall be holy.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sancti holy NOM.PL.M (ADJ)
2 erunt they shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
3 Deo to God DAT.SG.M (2ND DECL)
4 suo their own DAT.SG.M (POSS)
5 et and CONJ
6 non not ADV
7 polluent they will profane 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 nomen name ACC.SG.N (3RD DECL)
9 eius his GEN.SG (POSS)
10 incensum offering by fire ACC.SG.N (2ND DECL)
11 enim for CONJ
12 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M (2ND DECL)
13 et and CONJ
14 panes bread ACC.PL.M (3RD DECL)
15 Dei of God GEN.SG.M (2ND DECL)
16 sui their own GEN.SG.M (POSS)
17 offerunt they offer 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
18 et and CONJ
19 ideo therefore ADV
20 sancti holy NOM.PL.M (ADJ)
21 erunt they shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Declaration: Sancti erunt Deo suo — future indicative with dative of reference expressing priestly status toward God.

Negative Obligation: et non polluent nomen eius — coordinated future indicative stating a prohibition against profanation.

Causal Clause: incensum enim Domini et panes Dei sui offerunt — explanatory clause grounded in cultic service, with present indicative.

Resultative Restatement: et ideo sancti erunt — adverb ideo marking logical consequence and reinforcing the opening declaration.

Morphology

  1. Sancti — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative masculine plural; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Describes required priestly state.
  2. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: copular verb; Translation: “they shall be”; Notes: Legal future expressing obligation.
  3. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: dative of reference; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Marks orientation of holiness.
  4. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies Deo; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflexive possession.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links clauses.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the following verb.
  7. polluent — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “they will profane”; Notes: Legal future of prohibition.
  8. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “name”; Notes: Represents divine reputation.
  9. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies nomen; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to God.
  10. incensum — Lemma: incensum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object of offerunt; Translation: “offering by fire”; Notes: Cultic sacrifice.
  11. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: causal connector; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanation.
  12. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies incensum; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins objects.
  14. panes — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object of offerunt; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Refers to sacred bread offerings.
  15. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies panes; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Identifies divine ownership.
  16. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflexive emphasis.
  17. offerunt — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: main verb of the causal clause; Translation: “they offer”; Notes: Describes ongoing priestly duty.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces result.
  19. ideo — Lemma: ideo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: result marker; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Draws logical conclusion.
  20. sancti — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative masculine plural; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis.
  21. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “they shall be”; Notes: Concludes with reaffirmed obligation.

 

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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