Leviticus 23:28

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 23:28 Omne opus servile non facietis in tempore diei huius: quia dies propitiationis est, ut propitietur vobis Dominus Deus vester.

You shall do no servile work at the time of this day, for it is a day of propitiation, so that the LORD your God may make propitiation for you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omne every ACC.SG.N.ADJ
2 opus work ACC.SG.N
3 servile servile ACC.SG.N.ADJ
4 non not ADV
5 facietis you shall do 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 in at PREP+ABL
7 tempore time ABL.SG.N
8 diei of the day GEN.SG.M
9 huius of this GEN.SG.M.DEM
10 quia for CONJ
11 dies day NOM.SG.M
12 propitiationis of propitiation GEN.SG.F
13 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 ut so that CONJ
15 propitietur may make propitiation 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
16 vobis for you DAT.PL
17 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
18 Deus God NOM.SG.M
19 vester your NOM.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Absolute Prohibition: Omne opus servile non facietis — legislative future prohibiting all ordinary labor.
Temporal Limitation: in tempore diei huius — prepositional phrase defining the specific sacred time.
Causal Clause: quia dies propitiationis est — explanatory clause identifying the day’s cultic nature.
Purpose Clause: ut propitietur vobis Dominus Deus vester — subjunctive clause expressing divine purpose and effect.

Morphology

  1. Omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: modifies opus; Translation: “every”; Notes: Expresses total prohibition without exception.
  2. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “work”; Notes: General labor activity.
  3. servile — Lemma: servilis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: modifies opus; Translation: “servile”; Notes: Refers to ordinary occupational labor.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Creates an absolute ban.
  5. facietis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: prohibitive command; Translation: “you shall do”; Notes: Legislative future typical of cultic law.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: temporal reference; Translation: “at”; Notes: Introduces a time frame.
  7. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “time”; Notes: Emphasizes the duration of the sacred observance.
  8. diei — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the day”; Notes: Specifies which time is meant.
  9. huius — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative adjective; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies diei; Translation: “of this”; Notes: Points to the appointed Day of Expiation.
  10. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: causal connector; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides justification for the prohibition.
  11. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “day”; Notes: Head noun of the clause.
  12. propitiationis — Lemma: propitiatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: attributive genitive; Translation: “of propitiation”; Notes: Identifies the day’s redemptive purpose.
  13. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: States a defining reality.
  14. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: purpose introducer; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Introduces divine purpose.
  15. propitietur — Lemma: propitior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: third person singular present subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may make propitiation”; Notes: Expresses atoning action performed by God.
  16. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Identifies beneficiaries of the atonement.
  17. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  18. Deus — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: apposition; Translation: “God”; Notes: Clarifies divine identity.
  19. vester — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: modifies Deus; Translation: “your”; Notes: Grounds the promise in covenant relationship.

 

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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