Exodus 12:9

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 12:9 Non comedetis ex eo crudum quid, nec coctum aqua, sed tantum assum igni: caput cum pedibus eius et intestinis vorabitis.

You shall not eat from it anything raw, nor cooked with water, but only roasted by fire: its head with its feet and intestines you shall devour.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 comedetis you shall eat 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
3 ex from PREP+ABL
4 eo it ABL.SG.M/N.PRON
5 crudum raw ACC.SG.N
6 quid anything ACC.SG.N.INDEF
7 nec nor CONJ
8 coctum cooked ACC.SG.N.PPP
9 aqua with water ABL.SG.F
10 sed but CONJ
11 tantum only ADV
12 assum roasted ACC.SG.N.PPP
13 igni by fire ABL.SG.M
14 caput head ACC.SG.N
15 cum with PREP+ABL
16 pedibus feet ABL.PL.M
17 eius its GEN.SG.M/N.PRON
18 et and CONJ
19 intestinis intestines ABL.PL.N
20 vorabitis you shall devour 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: Non comedetis ex eo crudum quid — “You shall not eat from it anything raw”; comedetis is main verb; crudum quid is object.
Second Prohibition: nec coctum aqua — “nor anything cooked with water,” coordinated by nec.
Contrastive Requirement: sed tantum assum igni — “but only roasted by fire,” specifying the correct preparation method.
Second Directive: caput cum pedibus eius et intestinis vorabitis — “its head with its feet and intestines you shall devour,” with vorabitis as verb and a coordinated direct object phrase.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates main verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard prohibition marker.
  2. comedetis — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second plural; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall eat”; Notes: addressed to Israel as a group.
  3. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: source; Translation: “from”; Notes: indicates origin (from the lamb).
  4. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of ex; Translation: “it”; Notes: refers to the lamb.
  5. crudum — Lemma: crudus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies quid; Translation: “raw”; Notes: describes prohibited form of meat.
  6. quid — Lemma: quis/quid; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: indefinite object; Translation: “anything”; Notes: reinforces totality of prohibition.
  7. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links second negative clause; Translation: “nor”; Notes: coordinates prohibitions.
  8. coctum — Lemma: coquo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular neuter, perfect passive participle; Function: predicate/object with quid understood; Translation: “cooked”; Notes: sets up contrast with roasting.
  9. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: “with water”; Notes: specifies prohibited cooking method (boiling).
  10. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces exception; Translation: “but”; Notes: marks corrective contrast.
  11. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: restrictor; Translation: “only”; Notes: intensifies exclusivity.
  12. assum — Lemma: asso; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular neuter, perfect passive participle; Function: object complement; Translation: “roasted”; Notes: required cooking method.
  13. igni — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by fire”; Notes: essential instruction for Passover meal.
  14. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of vorabitis; Translation: “head”; Notes: indicates whole-animal consumption.
  15. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: joins additional parts.
  16. pedibus — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “feet”; Notes: included in whole-animal roasting.
  17. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: possessive; Translation: “its”; Notes: refers to the lamb.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: adds last food element.
  19. intestinis — Lemma: intestinum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of cum understood; Translation: “intestines”; Notes: part of full-animal consumption.
  20. vorabitis — Lemma: voro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “you shall devour”; Notes: emphasizes thorough eating.

 

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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