Exodus 20:4

Posted on March 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 20:4 Non facies tibi sculptile, neque omnem similitudinem quæ est in cælo desuper, et quæ in terra deorsum, nec eorum quæ sunt in aquis sub terra.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, nor any likeness of what is in heaven above, nor of what is on the earth below, nor of those that are in the waters beneath the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV INDECL
2 facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 tibi for yourself DAT.SG.PERS
4 sculptile carved image ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
5 neque nor CONJ INDECL
6 omnem every ACC.SG.F ADJ POS
7 similitudinem likeness ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL
8 quæ which NOM.SG.F PRON.REL
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 cælo heaven ABL.SG.N 2ND DECL
12 desuper above ADV INDECL
13 et and CONJ INDECL
14 quæ which NOM.PL.N PRON.REL
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 terra earth ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL
17 deorsum below ADV INDECL
18 nec nor CONJ INDECL
19 eorum of those GEN.PL.M/N PRON.DEM
20 quæ which NOM.PL.N PRON.REL
21 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
22 in in PREP+ABL
23 aquis waters ABL.PL.F 3RD DECL
24 sub under PREP+ABL
25 terra earth ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL

Syntax

Main Prohibition: Non facies (Verb with negator) + tibi sculptile (Indirect and direct object).

Coordinated Prohibitions: neque omnem similitudinem, nec eorum — coordinated with facies as the implied verb.

Relative Clauses: Three clauses introduced by quæ describe all realms where likenesses might be found: “in heaven above,” “on earth below,” “in the waters beneath the earth.”

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard Latin negator.
  2. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall make”; Notes: Future used as an absolute prohibition in the Decalogue.
  3. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Indicates personal appropriation.
  4. sculptile — Lemma: sculptile; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: “carved image”; Notes: Often refers to idols or graven images.
  5. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects prohibitions; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Links additional forbidden acts.
  6. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies similitudinem; Translation: “every”; Notes: Emphasizes total prohibition.
  7. similitudinem — Lemma: similitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object (implied verb); Translation: “likeness”; Notes: Any representation is included.
  8. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to similitudinem.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: Simple copula.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Used three times in the verse.
  11. cælo — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “heaven”; Notes: Indicates celestial realm.
  12. desuper — Lemma: desuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies locative phrase; Translation: “above”; Notes: Intensifies spatial description.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Common connective.
  14. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Shifts to plural objects on earth.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Second occurrence.
  16. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Terrestrial domain.
  17. deorsum — Lemma: deorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies locative phrase; Translation: “below”; Notes: Opposite of desuper.
  18. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds another prohibition; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Continues the pattern.
  19. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine/neuter; Function: partitive modifier; Translation: “of those”; Notes: Refers to creatures in waters below.
  20. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Third relative clause.
  21. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active third person plural; Function: verb of clause; Translation: “are”; Notes: Plural agrees with quæ.
  22. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Third occurrence.
  23. aquis — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Refers to seas, rivers, or subterranean waters.
  24. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: “under”; Notes: Indicates deeper realm.
  25. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: complement of sub; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Third cosmological layer mentioned.

 

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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