Leviticus 26:19

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 26:19 et conteram superbiam duritiæ vestræ. Daboque vobis cælum desuper sicut ferrum, et terram æneam.

and I will break the pride of your stubbornness. And I will give you the heaven above like iron, and the earth like bronze.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 conteram I will crush 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT
3 superbiam pride ACC.SG.F.1ST.DECL
4 duritiæ of stubbornness GEN.SG.F.5TH.DECL
5 vestræ your GEN.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
6 Daboque and I will give 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT+CONJ
7 vobis to you DAT.PL.PERS.PRON
8 cælum heaven ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
9 desuper from above ADV
10 sicut like CONJ
11 ferrum iron ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
12 et and CONJ
13 terram earth ACC.SG.F.1ST.DECL
14 æneam bronze ACC.SG.F.ADJ

Syntax

Added Judgment: et conteram superbiam duritiæ vestræ — coordinated future indicative; object + genitive of quality/source expressing the pride that grows out of stubborn resistance.
Environmental Curse: Daboque vobis cælum desuper sicut ferrum — future indicative with dative recipient; simile depicts an unyielding, rainless sky.
Parallel Image: et terram æneam — accusative object continuing the giving, portraying hardened, unproductive soil.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the sequence of escalating sanctions.
  2. conteram — Lemma: contero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: I will crush; Notes: Violent metaphor for breaking resistance.
  3. superbiam — Lemma: superbia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: pride; Notes: Self-exalting attitude opposed to obedience.
  4. duritiæ — Lemma: duritia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, fifth declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of stubbornness; Notes: Denotes hardness, obstinacy, or unbending refusal.
  5. vestræ — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies duritiæ; Translation: your; Notes: Assigns the stubbornness to the addressees.
  6. Daboque — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: first person singular future indicative active + -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and I will give; Notes: -que binds this act closely to the previous judgment.
  7. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: The recipients of the imposed conditions.
  8. cælum — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: heaven; Notes: The sky as the source of rain and blessing.
  9. desuper — Lemma: desuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifier; Translation: from above; Notes: Specifies the sky overhead.
  10. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: comparison; Translation: like; Notes: Introduces a simile for unyielding hardness.
  11. ferrum — Lemma: ferrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of comparison; Translation: iron; Notes: Image of a sealed sky that gives no rain.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins the second image to the first.
  13. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object (elliptical with Dabo); Translation: earth; Notes: The ground as the locus of fertility.
  14. æneam — Lemma: æneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: bronze; Notes: Portrays soil hardened and unproductive, resisting the plow and seed.

 

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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