Leviticus 25:25

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

25 Si attenuatus frater tuus vendiderit possessiunculam suam, et voluerit propinquus eius, potest redimere quod ille vendiderat.

If your brother has become impoverished and has sold a small possession of his, and his kinsman is willing, he may redeem what that one had sold.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 attenuatus impoverished NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
3 frater brother NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
4 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS
5 vendiderit has sold 3SG.FUTP.SUBJ.ACT
6 possessiunculam small possession ACC.SG.F.1ST.DECL
7 suam his own ACC.SG.F.POSS.REFL
8 et and CONJ
9 voluerit is willing 3SG.FUTP.SUBJ.ACT
10 propinquus kinsman NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
11 eius of him GEN.SG.PERS
12 potest is able / may 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
13 redimere to redeem INF.PRES.ACT
14 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL
15 ille that one NOM.SG.M.DEM
16 vendiderat had sold 3SG.PLUP.IND.ACT

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: Si attenuatus frater tuus vendiderit possessiunculam suam — conditional clause with future perfect subjunctive, describing a potential case of economic distress and sale.
Additional Condition: et voluerit propinquus eius — coordinated clause stating the willingness of a close relative.
Main Clause: potest redimere — present indicative expressing legal permission or right.
Relative Object: quod ille vendiderat — relative clause specifying the property subject to redemption.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a condition; Translation: if; Notes: Frames a hypothetical but regulated situation.
  2. attenuatus — Lemma: attenuo; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: impoverished; Notes: Describes reduced means rather than moral fault.
  3. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject of vendiderit; Translation: brother; Notes: Covenant kinship term within the community.
  4. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: your; Notes: Personalizes communal responsibility.
  5. vendiderit — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the conditional clause; Translation: has sold; Notes: Subjunctive aligns with conditional anticipation.
  6. possessiunculam — Lemma: possessiuncula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of vendiderit; Translation: small possession; Notes: Diminutive underscores limited property size.
  7. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies possessiunculam; Translation: his own; Notes: Reflexive ties ownership to the impoverished brother.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds a second required circumstance.
  9. voluerit — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the conditional clause; Translation: is willing; Notes: Emphasizes voluntary participation of the redeemer.
  10. propinquus — Lemma: propinquus; Part of Speech: noun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject of voluerit; Translation: kinsman; Notes: Indicates nearest eligible redeemer.
  11. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies propinquus; Translation: of him; Notes: Clarifies familial relationship.
  12. potest — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: may / is able; Notes: Expresses legal permission rather than mere capability.
  13. redimere — Lemma: redimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with potest; Translation: to redeem; Notes: Technical term for recovery of alienated property.
  14. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of redimere; Translation: what; Notes: Refers back to the sold possession.
  15. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of vendiderat; Translation: that one; Notes: Points back to the impoverished brother.
  16. vendiderat — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: had sold; Notes: Pluperfect situates the sale prior to the redemption act.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Leviticus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.