Leviticus 26:33

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

33 Vos autem dispergam in Gentes, et evaginabo post vos gladium, eritque terra vestra deserta, et civitates vestræ dirutæ.

But you I will scatter among the Nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you; and your land shall be desolate, and your cities laid in ruins.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vos you ACC.PL.PERS.PRON
2 autem however ADV
3 dispergam I will scatter 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT
4 in among PREP+ACC
5 Gentes nations ACC.PL.F.3RD.DECL
6 et and CONJ
7 evaginabo I will unsheathe 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT
8 post after PREP+ACC
9 vos you ACC.PL.PERS.PRON
10 gladium sword ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL
11 eritque and it shall be 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
12 terra land NOM.SG.F.1ST.DECL
13 vestra your NOM.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
14 deserta desolate NOM.SG.F.ADJ
15 et and CONJ
16 civitates cities NOM.PL.F.3RD.DECL
17 vestræ your NOM.PL.F.POSS.ADJ
18 dirutæ ruined NOM.PL.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS

Syntax

Adversative Emphasis: Vos autem dispergam — fronted object with adversative particle, stressing the people as direct recipients of judgment.
Directional Scattering: in Gentes — prepositional phrase indicating exile among foreign nations.
Pursuing Judgment: evaginabo post vos gladium — vivid future indicative portraying continued threat even in dispersion.
Resultant State: eritque terra vestra deserta and civitates vestræ dirutæ — copulative future with predicate adjectives/participle describing the devastated aftermath.

Morphology

  1. Vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object (fronted for emphasis); Translation: you; Notes: Placement heightens contrast with prior statements.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adversative marker; Translation: however; Notes: Signals a shift to intensified judgment.
  3. dispergam — Lemma: dispergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: I will scatter; Notes: Standard verb for exile and dispersion.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: direction; Translation: among; Notes: Indicates movement into foreign spaces.
  5. Gentes — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: nations; Notes: Refers to non-Israelite peoples.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Joins successive acts of judgment.
  7. evaginabo — Lemma: evagino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: I will unsheathe; Notes: Martial imagery of active pursuit.
  8. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: sequence; Translation: after; Notes: Indicates continued action following exile.
  9. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of post; Translation: you; Notes: Emphasizes personal pursuit.
  10. gladium — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: sword; Notes: Symbol of warfare and judgment.
  11. eritque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active with enclitic conjunction; Function: copulative verb; Translation: and it shall be; Notes: Introduces the resulting condition.
  12. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, first declension; Function: subject; Translation: land; Notes: The covenant territory.
  13. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: your; Notes: Highlights forfeited possession.
  14. deserta — Lemma: desertus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: desolate; Notes: Expresses abandonment and emptiness.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links land and cities.
  16. civitates — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: cities; Notes: Urban centers of the land.
  17. vestræ — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies civitates; Translation: your; Notes: Reiterates ownership now lost.
  18. dirutæ — Lemma: diruo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle; Translation: ruined; Notes: Completed destruction of cities.

 

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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