Leviticus 26:22

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

22 immittamque in vos bestias agri, quæ consumant vos, et pecora vestra, et ad paucitatem cuncta redigant, desertæque fiant viæ vestræ.

and I will send against you the beasts of the field, which may consume you and your cattle, and reduce everything to fewness, and your roads will become deserted.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 immittamque and I will send 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT+CONJ
2 in against PREP+ACC
3 vos you ACC.PL.PERS.PRON
4 bestias beasts ACC.PL.F.1ST.DECL
5 agri of the field GEN.SG.M.2ND.DECL
6 quæ which NOM.PL.F.REL
7 consumant may consume 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
8 vos you ACC.PL.PERS.PRON
9 et and CONJ
10 pecora cattle ACC.PL.N.3RD.DECL
11 vestra your ACC.PL.N.POSS.ADJ
12 et and CONJ
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 paucitatem fewness ACC.SG.F.3RD.DECL
15 cuncta all things ACC.PL.N.ADJ
16 redigant may reduce 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
17 desertæque and deserted NOM.PL.F.ADJ+CONJ
18 fiant may become 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
19 viæ roads NOM.PL.F.1ST.DECL
20 vestræ your NOM.PL.F.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Judgment Act: immittamque in vos bestias agri — future indicative with -que continuing escalation; prepositional phrase expresses hostile direction toward the people.
Relative Consequences: quæ consumant vos et pecora vestra — relative clause using present subjunctive to state intended effects of the sent beasts.
Population Reduction: et ad paucitatem cuncta redigant — coordinated subjunctive clause describing reduction to scarcity.
Social Desolation: desertæque fiant viæ vestræ — subjunctive clause portraying empty roads as a sign of depopulation and fear.

Morphology

  1. immittamque — Lemma: immitto; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: first person singular future indicative active + -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and I will send; Notes: Implies dispatching forces as an imposed judgment.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: hostile direction; Translation: against; Notes: With accusative can indicate motion toward with adverse intent.
  3. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of in; Translation: you; Notes: The targeted community.
  4. bestias — Lemma: bestia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: beasts; Notes: Wild animals as instruments of devastation.
  5. agri — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the field; Notes: Specifies untamed, rural wilderness.
  6. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to bestias.
  7. consumant — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive active; Function: verb of consequence; Translation: may consume; Notes: Subjunctive presents the beasts’ effects as intended outcomes.
  8. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object; Translation: you; Notes: Human victims of the judgment.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds a second target of destruction.
  10. pecora — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: cattle; Notes: Loss of livestock signifies economic collapse.
  11. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies pecora; Translation: your; Notes: Highlights personal loss.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Introduces a further consequence.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: result; Translation: to; Notes: Marks movement toward an end-state.
  14. paucitatem — Lemma: paucitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: fewness; Notes: Indicates scarcity and depopulation.
  15. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: all things; Notes: Comprehensive devastation, not limited to one sector.
  16. redigant — Lemma: redigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive active; Function: verb of consequence; Translation: may reduce; Notes: Depicts forcing into a diminished condition.
  17. desertæque — Lemma: desertus; Part of Speech: adjective with enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative plural feminine + -que; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: and deserted; Notes: -que ties the final image to the preceding outcomes.
  18. fiant — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive active; Function: verb of resulting state; Translation: may become; Notes: Expresses transition into desolation.
  19. viæ — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, first declension; Function: subject; Translation: roads; Notes: Empty roads signify societal breakdown and fear.
  20. vestræ — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies viæ; Translation: your; Notes: Emphasizes the loss of normal communal life.

 

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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