Exodus 21:32

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:32 Si servum, ancillamque invaserit, triginta siclos argenti domino dabit, bos vero lapidibus opprimetur.

If he attacks a male servant and a female servant, he shall give thirty shekels of silver to the master; but the ox shall be stoned.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 servum servant NOUN.ACC.SG.M.2ND DECL
3 ancillamque and the female servant NOUN.ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL+CONJ
4 invaserit attacks 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
5 triginta thirty ADJ.INDECL.NUM.POS
6 siclos shekels NOUN.ACC.PL.M.2ND DECL
7 argenti of silver NOUN.GEN.SG.N.2ND DECL
8 domino to the master NOUN.DAT.SG.M.2ND DECL
9 dabit he shall give 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
10 bos the ox NOUN.NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
11 vero but ADV.INDECL
12 lapidibus with stones NOUN.ABL.PL.M.3RD DECL
13 opprimetur shall be stoned 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND.3RD CONJ

Syntax

Conditional Clause: Si servum, ancillamque invaserit — protasis describing the ox’s attack on enslaved persons.
Direct Objects: servum … ancillamque — coordinated objects of invaserit.
Main Clause: triginta siclos argenti domino dabit — the owner must pay compensation.
Second Consequence: bos vero lapidibus opprimetur — the ox is executed by stoning; ablative of means = lapidibus.
Adverb: vero — contrasts the owner’s obligation with the ox’s fate.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Conditional marker in legal formulations.
  2. servum — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of invaserit; Translation: “a male servant”; Notes: First injured party.
  3. ancillamque — Lemma: ancilla (+ -que); Part of Speech: noun + enclitic conjunction; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: coordinated direct object; Translation: “and a female servant”; Notes: Enclitic -que links it tightly with servum.
  4. invaserit — Lemma: invado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: verb of protasis; Translation: “has attacked,” “attacks”; Notes: Future perfect marks prior completion within legal case.
  5. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies siclos; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Fixed-value compensation.
  6. siclos — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of dabit; Translation: “shekels”; Notes: Near Eastern weight/value unit.
  7. argenti — Lemma: argentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: genitive of material; Translation: “of silver”; Notes: Specifies type of shekel.
  8. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the master”; Notes: Owner of the harmed servants.
  9. dabit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative, 1st conjugation; Function: main verb prescribing payment; Translation: “he shall give”; Notes: Obligatory compensation.
  10. bos — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: subject of opprimetur; Translation: “the ox”; Notes: Offending animal.
  11. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: contrasts clauses; Translation: “but”; Notes: Marks distinct consequence.
  12. lapidibus — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with stones”; Notes: Method of execution (stoning).
  13. opprimetur — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future passive indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb of final apodosis; Translation: “shall be stoned,” “shall be crushed with stones”; Notes: Passive voice emphasizes judicial action on the ox.

 

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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