Leviticus 22:23

Posted on April 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

23 Bovem et ovem, aure et cauda amputatis, voluntarie offerre potes, votum autem ex eis solvi non potest.

An ox or a sheep, with ear and tail cut off, you may offer voluntarily, but a vow cannot be fulfilled from them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Bovem ox ACC.SG.M
2 et and CONJ
3 ovem sheep ACC.SG.F
4 aure ear ABL.SG.F
5 et and CONJ
6 cauda tail ABL.SG.F
7 amputatis cut off ABL.PL.PTCP.PASS
8 voluntarie voluntarily ADV
9 offerre to offer PRES.ACT.INF
10 potes you are able 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 votum vow ACC.SG.N
12 autem however ADV
13 ex from PREP+ABL
14 eis them ABL.PL.N.PERS
15 solvi to be fulfilled PRES.PASS.INF
16 non not ADV
17 potest is able 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Direct Objects: Bovem et ovem — animals under consideration.
Ablative Absolute: aure et cauda amputatis — physical condition of the animals stated independently.
Permissive Main Clause: voluntarie offerre potes — allowance for freewill offerings.
Adversative Clause: votum autem ex eis solvi non potest — restriction barring vow fulfillment.

Morphology

  1. Bovem — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object of offerre; Translation: “ox”; Notes: Refers to bovine sacrificial animal.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins animal categories.
  3. ovem — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: second direct object; Translation: “sheep”; Notes: Ovine sacrificial animal.
  4. aure — Lemma: auris; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: ablative absolute component; Translation: “ear”; Notes: Part of the animal anatomy.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links anatomical terms.
  6. cauda — Lemma: cauda; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative feminine singular; Function: ablative absolute component; Translation: “tail”; Notes: External appendage.
  7. amputatis — Lemma: amputo; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle passive); Form: ablative feminine plural; Function: completes the ablative absolute; Translation: “cut off”; Notes: Indicates physical mutilation.
  8. voluntarie — Lemma: voluntarie; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies offerre; Translation: “voluntarily”; Notes: Refers to freewill offerings.
  9. offerre — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with potes; Translation: “to offer”; Notes: Cultic presentation.
  10. potes — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person singular present active indicative; Function: main permissive verb; Translation: “you are able”; Notes: Expresses allowance rather than command.
  11. votum — Lemma: votum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: subject of the infinitive clause; Translation: “vow”; Notes: Sacred promise requiring fulfillment.
  12. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative transition; Translation: “however”; Notes: Introduces restriction.
  13. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Specifies origin of fulfillment.
  14. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: ablative neuter plural; Function: object of ex; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the defective animals.
  15. solvi — Lemma: solvo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: infinitive complement; Translation: “to be fulfilled”; Notes: Passive indicates completion of the vow.
  16. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates potest; Translation: “not”; Notes: Absolute prohibition.
  17. potest — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of restriction; Translation: “is able”; Notes: Denies permissibility.

 

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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