Exodus 20:16

Posted on March 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 20:16 Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.

You shall not speak false testimony against your neighbor.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV INDECL
2 loqueris you shall speak 2SG.FUT.DEP.IND
3 contra against PREP+ACC
4 proximum neighbor ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
5 tuum your ACC.SG.M ADJ.POSS
6 falsum false ACC.SG.N ADJ.POS
7 testimonium testimony ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL

Syntax

Main prohibition: Non loqueris — a full independent clause, stating a legal prohibition.

Prepositional phrase: contra proximum tuum — indicates the target of the wrongful speech (“against your neighbor”).

Object of the verb: falsum testimonium — direct object expressing the content of the forbidden act (“false testimony”).

Structure: Imperative force conveyed by the future indicative: subject is implied “you,” verb loqueris, negated by Non.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable negative adverb; Function: negates the verb loqueris; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard negative particle used before a finite verb.
  2. loqueris — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: second person singular future indicative (deponent form, active meaning); Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall speak”; Notes: Future indicative in the Decalogue expresses binding legal commands.
  3. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: introduces the person harmed; Translation: “against”; Notes: Expresses opposition or hostility.
  4. proximum — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: “neighbor”; Notes: Means “the one who is near,” used ethically.
  5. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies proximum; Translation: “your”; Notes: Matches gender and number with proximum.
  6. falsum — Lemma: falsus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies testimonium; Translation: “false”; Notes: Indicates the moral quality of the prohibited testimony.
  7. testimonium — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of loqueris; Translation: “testimony”; Notes: Refers to formal witness in legal or communal settings.

 

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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