Exodus 21:31

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:31 Filium quoque et filiam si cornu percusserit, simili sententiæ subiacebit.

If he strikes a son or a daughter with the horn, he shall be subject to a similar judgment.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filium son NOUN.ACC.SG.M.2ND DECL
2 quoque also ADV.INDECL
3 et and CONJ
4 filiam daughter NOUN.ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL
5 si if CONJ
6 cornu with the horn NOUN.ABL.SG.N.4TH DECL
7 percusserit strikes 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
8 simili similar ADJ.DAT.SG.F.POS
9 sententiæ judgment NOUN.DAT.SG.F.1ST DECL
10 subiacebit he shall be subject 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ

Syntax

Direct Objects: Filium … et filiam — coordinated objects receiving the action of goring.
Conditional Clause: si cornu percusserit — “if he strikes with the horn,” ablative of instrument cornu.
Main Clause: simili sententiæ subiacebit — subject (implied) = the ox’s owner; verb = subiacebit; dative of reference = simili sententiæ.
Adverb: quoque — indicates extension of prior law to offspring.

Morphology

  1. Filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “son”; Notes: First coordinated object of the conditional action.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds inclusiveness; Translation: “also”; Notes: Extends legal category.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins filium with filiam; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates equal objects.
  4. filiam — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Added legal subject parallel to filium.
  5. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Marks conditional clause.
  6. cornu — Lemma: cornu; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 4th declension; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: “with the horn”; Notes: Specifies means of injury.
  7. percusserit — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: verb of the protasis; Translation: “strikes,” “has struck”; Notes: Legal future perfect marking completed harm before judgment.
  8. simili — Lemma: similis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative singular feminine, positive degree; Function: modifies sententiæ; Translation: “similar”; Notes: Refers to the penalty parallel to preceding law.
  9. sententiæ — Lemma: sententia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: dative of reference with subiacebit; Translation: “judgment,” “sentence”; Notes: The legal ruling to which he becomes subject.
  10. subiacebit — Lemma: subiaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative, 2nd conjugation; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: “he shall be subject”; Notes: Expresses future legal liability.

 

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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