Leviticus 21:7

Posted on April 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 21:7 Scortum et vile prostibulum non ducent uxorem, nec eam, quæ repudiata est a marito: quia consecrati sunt Deo suo,

A harlot and a base prostitute shall not take a wife, nor her who has been put away by her husband; because they are consecrated to their God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Scortum prostitute ACC.SG.N (2ND DECL)
2 et and CONJ
3 vile base ACC.SG.N (ADJ)
4 prostibulum debased woman ACC.SG.N (2ND DECL)
5 non not ADV
6 ducent they shall take 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
7 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F (3RD DECL)
8 nec nor CONJ
9 eam her ACC.SG.F (DEM)
10 quæ who NOM.SG.F (REL)
11 repudiata put away NOM.SG.F (PTCP.PERF.PASS)
12 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 a by PREP+ABL
14 marito husband ABL.SG.M (2ND DECL)
15 quia because CONJ
16 consecrati consecrated NOM.PL.M (PTCP.PERF.PASS)
17 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
18 Deo to God DAT.SG.M (2ND DECL)
19 suo their own DAT.SG.M (POSS)

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: Scortum et vile prostibulum non ducent uxorem — future indicative with negation expressing a standing legal ban on marriage choices.

Coordinated Restriction: nec eam quæ repudiata est a marito — negative coordination adding a further excluded category, defined by a relative clause with passive periphrasis.

Causal Ground: quia consecrati sunt Deo suo — causal clause explaining the prohibition on the basis of priestly consecration, with dative of reference.

Morphology

  1. Scortum — Lemma: scortum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “prostitute”; Notes: Term for one engaged in sexual commerce.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins prohibited categories.
  3. vile — Lemma: vilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: modifies prostibulum; Translation: “base”; Notes: Indicates moral degradation.
  4. prostibulum — Lemma: prostibulum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “debased woman”; Notes: Emphasizes public sexual immorality.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Governs the future verb.
  6. ducent — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall take”; Notes: Idiom for taking a wife.
  7. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: object of ducent; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Legitimate marital partner.
  8. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Adds another prohibition.
  9. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: object of ducent; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to the following relative clause.
  10. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces defining clause.
  11. repudiata — Lemma: repudio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative feminine singular perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: “put away”; Notes: Legal divorce context.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Completes passive periphrasis.
  13. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: agent marker; Translation: “by”; Notes: Introduces agent of repudiation.
  14. marito — Lemma: maritus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of a; Translation: “husband”; Notes: Legal spouse.
  15. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Grounds the prohibition.
  16. consecrati — Lemma: consecro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative masculine plural perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: “consecrated”; Notes: Status of ritual dedication.
  17. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  18. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: dative of reference; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Object of consecration.
  19. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies Deo; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflexive possession.

 

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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