Leviticus 22:5

Posted on April 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 22:5 et qui tangit reptile, et quodlibet immundum, cuius tactus est sordidus,

and he who touches a creeping thing, and any unclean thing, whose touch is defiling,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
3 tangit touches 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 reptile creeping thing ACC.SG.N
5 et and CONJ
6 quodlibet any ACC.SG.N.INDEF
7 immundum unclean thing ACC.SG.N.ADJ
8 cuius whose GEN.SG.M.REL
9 tactus touch NOM.SG.M
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 sordidus defiling NOM.SG.M.ADJ

Syntax

Coordinated Relative Clause: et qui tangit — adds an additional qualifying case
Direct Objects: reptile + quodlibet immundum — items contacted
Genitive Relative Clause: cuius tactus est sordidus — characterizes the impurity resulting from contact

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links an additional condition to the preceding list.
  2. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to the generic man previously described.
  3. tangit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: states the action causing impurity; Translation: “touches”; Notes: Physical contact is sufficient to transmit uncleanness.
  4. reptile — Lemma: reptile; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object of tangit; Translation: “creeping thing”; Notes: Collective term for crawling creatures deemed impure.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two sources of impurity.
  6. quodlibet — Lemma: quodlibet; Part of Speech: Indefinite pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: modifies immundum; Translation: “any”; Notes: Emphasizes total inclusiveness without exception.
  7. immundum — Lemma: immundus; Part of Speech: Adjective (substantive); Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: second direct object; Translation: “unclean thing”; Notes: Broad category of ritual impurity.
  8. cuius — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: introduces a descriptive clause; Translation: “whose”; Notes: Refers to the unclean object just mentioned.
  9. tactus — Lemma: tactus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of est; Translation: “touch”; Notes: The act of contact itself is evaluated.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate adjective.
  11. sordidus — Lemma: sordidus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: predicate adjective modifying tactus; Translation: “defiling”; Notes: Conveys moral-ritual contamination rather than physical dirt.

 

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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