Exodus 21:9

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

9 Sin autem filio suo desponderit eam, iuxta morem filiarum faciet illi.

But if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall act toward her according to the custom of daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sin but if CONJ INDECL
2 autem however CONJ INDECL
3 filio to his son DAT.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
4 suo his DAT.SG.M POSS.ADJ
5 desponderit has betrothed 3SG.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ VERB
6 eam her ACC.SG.F PERS.PRON
7 iuxta according to PREP+ACC PREP
8 morem custom ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL NOUN
9 filiarum of daughters GEN.PL.F 1ST DECL NOUN
10 faciet he shall act 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND VERB
11 illi toward her DAT.SG.F PERS.PRON

Syntax

Conditional clause:
Sin autem — adversative conditional (“but if however”).
filio suo — dative indirect object (“to his son”), with suo reflexive to the subject.
desponderit eam — future perfect subjunctive expressing a legal future condition (“has betrothed her”).

Main legal outcome:
faciet illi — main verb + dative (“he shall act toward her”).
iuxta morem filiarum — prepositional phrase (“according to the custom of daughters”), defining the treatment due her on betrothal.

Morphology

  1. Sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces adversative conditional clause; Translation: but if; Notes: contrasts with the previous law.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds an adversative nuance; Translation: however; Notes: strengthens the conditional contrast.
  3. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to his son; Notes: recipient of the betrothal arrangement.
  4. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies filio; Translation: his; Notes: reflexive, referring back to the master.
  5. desponderit — Lemma: despondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of the conditional protasis; Translation: has betrothed; Notes: legal future condition expressed by Latin future perfect subjunctive.
  6. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of desponderit; Translation: her; Notes: refers to the girl sold as a servant.
  7. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces norm or standard; Translation: according to; Notes: establishes required customary treatment.
  8. morem — Lemma: mos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: custom; Notes: refers to accepted social/legal norms.
  9. filiarum — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine 1st declension; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of daughters; Notes: identifies the norm that applies to daughters, not merely servants.
  10. faciet — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: he shall act; Notes: expresses obligatory treatment.
  11. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: toward her; Notes: refers to the girl now betrothed to the master’s son.

 

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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