Leviticus 27:26

Posted on April 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

26 Primogenita, quæ ad Dominum pertinent, nemo sanctificare poterit et vovere: sive bos, sive ovis fuerit, Domini sunt.

The firstborn, which belong to the LORD, no one shall be able to consecrate and vow: whether it be an ox or a sheep, they are the LORD’s.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Primogenita firstborn NOUN.NOM.PL.N
2 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.PL.N
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Dominum the LORD NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 pertinent belong 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
6 nemo no one PRON.INDEF.NOM.SG.M
7 sanctificare to consecrate INF.PRES.ACT
8 poterit will be able 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 vovere to vow INF.PRES.ACT
11 sive whether CONJ
12 bos ox NOUN.NOM.SG.M
13 sive or CONJ
14 ovis sheep NOUN.NOM.SG.F
15 fuerit may have been 3SG.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ
16 Domini of the LORD NOUN.GEN.SG.M
17 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Subject: Primogenita — nominative plural neuter, governing the entire statement.

Relative Clause: quæ (subject) + pertinent (verb) + prepositional phrase ad Dominum, explaining inherent belonging.

Main Prohibition Clause: nemo (subject) + poterit (future verb) + complementary infinitives sanctificare and vovere.

Alternative Clause: sive bos sive ovis fuerit — concessive or alternative specification; fuerit in future perfect subjunctive expressing eventual condition.

Final Assertion: Domini sunt — predicate nominative construction emphasizing ownership; genitive of possession with verb of being.

Morphology

  1. Primogenita — Lemma: primogenitum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter second declension; Function: main subject; Translation: firstborn; Notes: refers collectively to firstborn animals.
  2. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of pertinent; Translation: which; Notes: agrees with Primogenita.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: introduces direction or relation; Translation: to; Notes: expresses belonging toward the LORD.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  5. pertinent — Lemma: pertinere; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative second conjugation; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: belong; Notes: indicates inherent legal possession.
  6. nemo — Lemma: nemo; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of poterit; Translation: no one; Notes: absolute negation of human authority.
  7. sanctificare — Lemma: sanctificare; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive first conjugation; Function: complementary infinitive with poterit; Translation: to consecrate; Notes: redundant since already sacred.
  8. poterit — Lemma: posse; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative irregular; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: will be able; Notes: expresses legal impossibility.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links infinitives; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates two prohibited actions.
  10. vovere — Lemma: vovere; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive second conjugation; Function: complementary infinitive with poterit; Translation: to vow; Notes: vow unnecessary for what already belongs to the LORD.
  11. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces alternative; Translation: whether; Notes: pairs with second sive.
  12. bos — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine third declension; Function: subject of fuerit; Translation: ox; Notes: representative clean animal.
  13. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: second alternative marker; Translation: or; Notes: balances first sive.
  14. ovis — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine third declension; Function: alternative subject; Translation: sheep; Notes: another common sacrificial animal.
  15. fuerit — Lemma: esse; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb in alternative clause; Translation: may have been; Notes: expresses indefinite future case.
  16. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine second declension; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: indicates divine ownership.
  17. sunt — Lemma: esse; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: are; Notes: affirms present and perpetual belonging.

 

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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