Leviticus 25:39

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:39 Si paupertate compulsus vendiderit se tibi frater tuus, non eum opprimes servitute famulorum,

If your brother, compelled by poverty, has sold himself to you, you shall not oppress him with the service of slaves,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 paupertate by poverty ABL.SG.F.3RD.DECL
3 compulsus compelled NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
4 vendiderit has sold 3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
5 se himself ACC.SG.REFL.PRON
6 tibi to you DAT.SG.PERS.PRON
7 frater brother NOM.SG.M.3RD.DECL
8 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
9 non not ADV
10 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON
11 opprimes you will oppress 2SG.FUT.IND.ACT
12 servitute with servitude ABL.SG.F.3RD.DECL
13 famulorum of slaves GEN.PL.M.2ND.DECL

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: Si paupertate compulsus vendiderit se tibi frater tuus — conditional clause with perfect subjunctive expressing a legal case of economic distress.
Ablative of Cause: paupertate — states the motive compelling the action.
Main Prohibition: non eum opprimes — future indicative with negation functioning as a binding legal command.
Instrument/Manner: servitute famulorum — ablative phrase defining the forbidden mode of oppression.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a legal condition; Translation: if; Notes: Opens a casuistic rule.
  2. paupertate — Lemma: paupertas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, third declension; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: by poverty; Notes: Indicates economic necessity.
  3. compulsus — Lemma: compello; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: compelled; Notes: Emphasizes lack of free choice.
  4. vendiderit — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the protasis; Translation: has sold; Notes: Typical perfect subjunctive in conditional legislation.
  5. se — Lemma: se; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of vendiderit; Translation: himself; Notes: Indicates self-sale rather than sale of property.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: Identifies the purchaser.
  7. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: brother; Notes: Denotes covenant kinship.
  8. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: your; Notes: Personalizes moral obligation.
  9. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Marks prohibition.
  10. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers back to the brother.
  11. opprimes — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: you will oppress; Notes: Future indicative carries prescriptive force.
  12. servitute — Lemma: servitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, third declension; Function: ablative of means or manner; Translation: with servitude; Notes: Specifies the type of treatment forbidden.
  13. famulorum — Lemma: famulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of slaves; Notes: Distinguishes harsh slave-service from protected kin labor.

 

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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