Leviticus 22:16

Posted on April 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 22:16 ne forte sustineant iniquitatem delicti sui, cum sanctificata comederint. ego Dominus qui sanctifico eos.

lest perhaps they bear the iniquity of their offense, when they have eaten the holy things. I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ne lest CONJ
2 forte perhaps ADV
3 sustineant they bear 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
4 iniquitatem iniquity ACC.SG.F
5 delicti of offense GEN.SG.N
6 sui their own GEN.SG.N.REFL
7 cum when CONJ
8 sanctificata holy things ACC.PL.N
9 comederint they have eaten 3PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
10 ego I NOM.SG.PERS
11 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
12 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
13 sanctifico sanctify 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 eos them ACC.PL.M.PERS

Syntax

Negative Purpose Clause: ne forte sustineant — expresses prevention of a grave consequence.
Direct Object: iniquitatem — the burden borne.
Genitive Specification: delicti sui — identifies the source of guilt.
Temporal Clause: cum sanctificata comederint — circumstance triggering liability.
Divine Self-Identification: ego Dominus qui sanctifico eos — authority and sanctifying role of YHWH.

Morphology

  1. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a negative purpose clause; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Common in legal warnings to prevent an outcome.
  2. forte — Lemma: forte; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies the verb with contingency; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: Softens the warning without reducing seriousness.
  3. sustineant — Lemma: sustineo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: expresses a feared result; Translation: “they bear”; Notes: Often used for enduring guilt or punishment.
  4. iniquitatem — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object of sustineant; Translation: “iniquity”; Notes: Moral culpability rather than mere error.
  5. delicti — Lemma: delictum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: modifies iniquitatem; Translation: “of offense”; Notes: Specifies the act giving rise to guilt.
  6. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: modifies delicti; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflexive back to the offenders themselves.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal-circumstantial clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Takes the subjunctive in this usage.
  8. sanctificata — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: Verb (substantive participle); Form: accusative neuter plural; Function: direct object of comederint; Translation: “holy things”; Notes: Consecrated items reserved for priestly use.
  9. comederint — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal clause; Translation: “they have eaten”; Notes: Perfect marks the completed act causing liability.
  10. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Highlights divine self-reference.
  11. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Covenant name of YHWH.
  12. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: introduces a descriptive clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Links divine identity to sanctifying action.
  13. sanctifico — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: states ongoing divine action; Translation: “sanctify”; Notes: God himself is the source of holiness.
  14. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object of sanctifico; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the priests bound by these commands.

 

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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