Leviticus 23:31

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 23:31 Nihil ergo operis facietis in eo: legitimum sempiternum erit vobis in cunctis generationibus, et habitationibus vestris.

You shall therefore do no work at all on it; it shall be a perpetual statute for you throughout all your generations, and in all your dwellings.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nihil nothing ACC.SG.N.INDEF
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 operis of work GEN.SG.N
4 facietis you shall do 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
5 in on PREP+ABL
6 eo it ABL.SG.M.DEM
7 legitimum statute NOM.SG.N
8 sempiternum perpetual NOM.SG.N.ADJ
9 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 vobis for you DAT.PL
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 cunctis all ABL.PL.F.ADJ
13 generationibus generations ABL.PL.F
14 et and CONJ
15 habitationibus dwellings ABL.PL.F
16 vestris your ABL.PL.F.POSS

Syntax

Absolute Prohibition: Nihil … operis facietis in eo — emphatic negative command using an indefinite object with a partitive genitive to forbid any kind of work.
Inferential Marker: ergo — draws a conclusion from the preceding sanctions and requirements.
Legal Declaration: legitimum sempiternum erit vobis — future copular clause establishing enduring legal force.
Scope of Application: in cunctis generationibus et habitationibus vestris — ablative phrases extending the statute across time and place.

Morphology

  1. Nihil — Lemma: nihil; Part of Speech: Indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “nothing”; Notes: Absolute negation permitting no exception.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Signals a conclusion based on prior commands.
  3. operis — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: “of work”; Notes: Specifies the category from which “nothing” is permitted.
  4. facietis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: prohibitive command; Translation: “you shall do”; Notes: Legislative future expressing obligation.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: temporal reference; Translation: “on”; Notes: Refers to the appointed sacred day.
  6. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “it”; Notes: Points back to the Day of Expiation.
  7. legitimum — Lemma: legitimus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject; Translation: “statute”; Notes: Formal legal ordinance.
  8. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “perpetual”; Notes: Emphasizes enduring validity.
  9. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Establishes ongoing force.
  10. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: “for you”; Notes: Applies the statute to the covenant community.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: scope; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces domains of application.
  12. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative feminine plural; Function: modifies generationibus; Translation: “all”; Notes: No exceptions across time.
  13. generationibus — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative feminine plural; Function: temporal scope; Translation: “generations”; Notes: Extends the command through successive ages.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds a second sphere of application.
  15. habitationibus — Lemma: habitatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative feminine plural; Function: locative scope; Translation: “dwellings”; Notes: Applies wherever the community resides.
  16. vestris — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: ablative feminine plural; Function: modifies habitationibus; Translation: “your”; Notes: Addresses the covenant people directly.

 

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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