9 Dabisque dono Levitas
And you shall give the Levites as a gift
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Dabisque |
and you shall give |
2SG.FUT.ACT.IND |
| 2 |
dono |
as gift |
DAT.SG.N |
| 3 |
Levitas |
Levites |
ACC.PL.M |
Syntax
Main Clause: Dabis Levitas — verb (Dabis) + direct object (Levitas)
Enclitic Coordination: Dabisque — the enclitic -que connects this command to the preceding instruction
Dative of Purpose: dono — expresses purpose or designation as a gift
Morphology
- Dabisque — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative 1st conjugation with enclitic conjunction; Function: main verb; Translation: and you shall give; Notes: the enclitic -que joins this command with the previous sequence.
- dono — Lemma: donum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: dative of purpose; Translation: as a gift; Notes: expresses the intended designation of the Levites.
- Levitas — Lemma: Levita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: Levites; Notes: refers to the tribe assigned for service.
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.