Leviticus 7:23

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 7:23 Loquere filiis Israel: Adipem ovis, et bovis, et capræ non comedetis.

“Speak to the sons of Israel: ‘The fat of a sheep, and of an ox, and of a goat you shall not eat.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Loquere speak 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 filiis to the sons DAT.PL.M
3 Israel of Israel INDECL.PROPN
4 Adipem the fat ACC.SG.M
5 ovis of sheep GEN.SG.F
6 et and CONJ
7 bovis of cattle GEN.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 capræ of goat GEN.SG.F
10 non not ADV
11 comedetis you shall eat 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Imperative Command: Loquere — direct divine instruction
Indirect Object: filiis Israel — identifies the covenant audience
Direct Object: Adipem ovis et bovis et capræ — specifies the prohibited substance
Negated Predicate: non comedetis — issues a categorical prohibition

Morphology

  1. Loquere — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: second person singular present imperative; Function: command; Translation: speak; Notes: Standard formula introducing authoritative instruction.
  2. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine, second declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the sons; Notes: Legal designation for descendants.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive in sense modifying filiis; Translation: of Israel; Notes: Covenant people identified by name.
  4. Adipem — Lemma: adeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: the fat; Notes: Refers to reserved sacrificial fat.
  5. ovis — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: modifies adipem; Translation: of sheep; Notes: Small livestock category.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinator; Translation: and; Notes: Joins items in a list.
  7. bovis — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, third declension; Function: modifies adipem; Translation: of cattle; Notes: Refers to bovine animals.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinator; Translation: and; Notes: Continues enumeration.
  9. capræ — Lemma: capra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, first declension; Function: modifies adipem; Translation: of goat; Notes: Completes the triad of sacrificial animals.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates comedetis; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute prohibition marker.
  11. comedetis — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future active indicative; Function: predicate verb; Translation: you shall eat; Notes: Future indicative used with prohibitive force in legal language.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Leviticus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.