Leviticus 25:30

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:30 si non redemerit, et anni circulus fuerit evolutus, emptor possidebit eam, et posteri eius in perpetuum, et redimi non poterit, etiam in iubileo.

If he has not redeemed it, and the cycle of a year has passed, the buyer shall possess it, and his descendants in perpetuity, and it will not be able to be redeemed, even in the jubilee.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 si if CONJ
2 non not ADV
3 redemerit has redeemed 3SG.FUTP.SUBJ.ACT
4 et and CONJ
5 anni of a year GEN.SG.M.2ND.DECL
6 circulus cycle NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
7 fuerit has been 3SG.FUTP.SUBJ.ACT
8 evolutus rolled out / passed NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
9 emptor buyer NOM.SG.M.3RD.DECL
10 possidebit shall possess 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
11 eam it ACC.SG.F.DEM
12 et and CONJ
13 posteri descendants NOM.PL.M.2ND.DECL
14 eius of him GEN.SG.PERS
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 perpetuum perpetuity ABL.SG.N.INVAR
17 et and CONJ
18 redimi to be redeemed INF.PRES.PASS
19 non not ADV
20 poterit will be able 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
21 etiam even ADV
22 in in PREP+ABL
23 iubileo jubilee ABL.SG.N.2ND.DECL

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: si non redemerit — condition with future perfect subjunctive, expressing failure to exercise redemption.
Temporal Confirmation: et anni circulus fuerit evolutus — coordinated clause marking the completion of the one-year period.
Main Legal Result: emptor possidebit eam — future indicative granting permanent urban-house ownership to the buyer.
Extension to Heirs: et posteri eius in perpetuum — nominative subject continued with an ablative phrase of duration.
Irrevocability Clause: et redimi non poterit — passive infinitive with future of ability expressing non-redeemability.
Exception Denied: etiam in iubileo — emphatic phrase excluding jubilee from reversing this case.

Morphology

  1. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: Sets the legal contingency for urban property.
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Negates exercise of redemption.
  3. redemerit — Lemma: redimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the condition; Translation: has redeemed; Notes: Assumes the redemption right existed but was not used.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds a second defining circumstance.
  5. anni — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: modifies circulus; Translation: of a year; Notes: Specifies the measured unit of time.
  6. circulus — Lemma: circulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: subject of fuerit; Translation: cycle; Notes: Idiom for the completion of a full year.
  7. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect subjunctive active; Function: auxiliary in the temporal clause; Translation: has been; Notes: Forms a perfect periphrasis with evolutus.
  8. evolutus — Lemma: evolvo; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: complements fuerit; Translation: rolled out / passed; Notes: Pictures time as unrolling to its completion.
  9. emptor — Lemma: emptor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject of possidebit; Translation: buyer; Notes: Holds title once the redemption window closes.
  10. possidebit — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: shall possess; Notes: Indicates lasting control and ownership.
  11. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of possidebit; Translation: it; Notes: Refers back to the domum previously mentioned.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Extends possession beyond the first buyer.
  13. posteri — Lemma: posterus; Part of Speech: noun/adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: additional subject with emptor; Translation: descendants; Notes: Specifies hereditary transfer.
  14. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies posteri; Translation: of him; Notes: Refers to the buyer as ancestor.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: expresses duration; Translation: in; Notes: Used with temporal nouns to indicate ongoing state.
  16. perpetuum — Lemma: perpetuum; Part of Speech: noun/adjectival substantive; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: perpetuity; Notes: Marks permanence of ownership in this urban-house exception.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds the legal impossibility clause.
  18. redimi — Lemma: redimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with poterit; Translation: to be redeemed; Notes: Passive focuses on the property as subject of redemption.
  19. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Denies any later redemption.
  20. poterit — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: verb of ability/permission; Translation: will be able; Notes: Expresses legal impossibility rather than physical inability.
  21. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: emphatic modifier; Translation: even; Notes: Highlights the unexpected exclusion of jubilee reversal.
  22. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: expresses time; Translation: in; Notes: Specifies the time frame being excluded.
  23. iubileo — Lemma: iubileum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: jubilee; Notes: Jubilee does not override this completed urban-house sale.

 

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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