Leviticus 23:38

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 23:38 exceptis sabbatis Domini, donisque vestris, et quæ offeretis ex voto, vel quæ sponte tribuetis Domino.

except for the sabbaths of the LORD, and your gifts, and whatever you shall offer by vow, or whatever you shall freely give to the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 exceptis except ABL.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
2 sabbatis sabbaths ABL.PL.N
3 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
4 donisque and gifts ABL.PL.N+CONJ
5 vestris your ABL.PL.N.POSS
6 et and CONJ
7 quæ which ACC.PL.N.REL
8 offeretis you shall offer 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
9 ex from PREP+ABL
10 voto a vow ABL.SG.N
11 vel or CONJ
12 quæ which ACC.PL.N.REL
13 sponte freely ADV
14 tribuetis you shall give 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
15 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Exceptive Construction: exceptis sabbatis Domini donisque vestris — ablative absolute-like participial phrase excluding previously established sacred obligations.
Relative Specification: et quæ offeretis ex voto — relative clause identifying vowed offerings as an additional category.
Alternative Addition: vel quæ sponte tribuetis Domino — coordinated relative clause specifying freewill gifts.
Dative of Recipient: Domino — marks YHWH as the recipient of all offerings.

Morphology

  1. exceptis — Lemma: excipio; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect passive participle); Form: ablative masculine plural perfect passive participle; Function: exceptive modifier; Translation: “except”; Notes: Introduces exclusions from the preceding summary.
  2. sabbatis — Lemma: sabbatum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative neuter plural; Function: object of exception; Translation: “sabbaths”; Notes: Regular weekly sacred days.
  3. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  4. donisque — Lemma: donum; Part of Speech: Noun with enclitic conjunction; Form: ablative neuter plural + -que; Function: coordinated exception; Translation: “and gifts”; Notes: Enclitic joins this item closely to the sabbaths.
  5. vestris — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: ablative neuter plural; Function: modifies donis; Translation: “your”; Notes: Gifts belonging to the worshippers.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds further categories.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: accusative neuter plural; Function: direct object of offeretis; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to additional offerings.
  8. offeretis — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you shall offer”; Notes: Legislative future.
  9. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin or cause.
  10. voto — Lemma: votum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: object of ex; Translation: “a vow”; Notes: Offerings bound by promise.
  11. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: alternative; Translation: “or”; Notes: Presents an alternative category.
  12. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: accusative neuter plural; Function: direct object of tribuetis; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to voluntary gifts.
  13. sponte — Lemma: sponte; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: manner; Translation: “freely”; Notes: Emphasizes voluntariness.
  14. tribuetis — Lemma: tribuo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you shall give”; Notes: Distinct from obligatory offerings.
  15. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: dative of recipient; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: YHWH as the ultimate recipient.

 

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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