Exodus 22:5

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 22:5 Si læserit quispiam agrum vel vineam, et dimiserit iumentum suum ut depascatur aliena: quidquid optimum habuerit in agro suo, vel in vinea, pro damni æstimatione restituet.

If anyone harms a field or a vineyard, and releases his livestock so that it grazes what belongs to another, whatever is best in his field or in his vineyard he shall restore according to the valuation of the damage.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 læserit harms 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
3 quispiam someone INDEF.PRON.NOM.SG.M
4 agrum field ACC.SG.M
5 vel or CONJ
6 vineam vineyard ACC.SG.F
7 et and CONJ
8 dimiserit releases 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
9 iumentum beast ACC.SG.N
10 suum his ACC.SG.N.ADJ.POSS
11 ut so that CONJ.PURPOSE
12 depascatur may graze 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
13 aliena another’s property ACC.PL.N.ADJ.SUBST
14 quidquid whatever INDEF.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
15 optimum best NOM/ACC.SG.N.ADJ
16 habuerit has 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 agro field ABL.SG.M
19 suo his own ABL.SG.M.ADJ.POSS
20 vel or CONJ
21 in in PREP+ABL
22 vinea vineyard ABL.SG.F
23 pro for PREP+ABL
24 damni of damage GEN.SG.N
25 æstimatione valuation ABL.SG.F
26 restituet he shall restore 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause (Protasis): quispiam (Subject) + læserit (Verb)
Objects: agrum, vineam (Direct objects of læserit)

Secondary Protasis: dimiserit iumentum suum — additional condition describing negligent release of livestock

Purpose/Result Clause: ut depascatur aliena — purpose clause describing the grazing of what belongs to another

Main Clause (Apodosis): quidquid optimum habuerit (Subject phrase) + restituet (Verb)
Phrases: in agro suo, in vinea — ablative phrases specifying source of the “best” produce
Valuation Phrase: pro damni æstimatione — ablative phrase expressing the legal basis for compensation

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: conditional particle; Function: Introduces the protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: standard marker for legal conditional clauses.
  2. læserit — Lemma: lædo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND; Function: Verb of the first condition; Translation: “harms”; Notes: future perfect indicates a completed harmful act in legal style.
  3. quispiam — Lemma: quispiam; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: NOM.SG.M; Function: Subject; Translation: “someone,” “anyone”; Notes: indefinite subject typical in legal formulations.
  4. agrum — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ACC.SG.M; Function: Direct object of læserit; Translation: “field”; Notes: denotes cultivated land.
  5. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: Links alternative objects; Translation: “or”; Notes: inclusive alternative.
  6. vineam — Lemma: vinea; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ACC.SG.F; Function: Direct object of læserit; Translation: “vineyard”; Notes: agricultural property parallel to agrum.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: Connects first and second condition; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins conditions of liability.
  8. dimiserit — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND; Function: Verb of second condition; Translation: “releases,” “lets loose”; Notes: describes negligent action regarding livestock.
  9. iumentum — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ACC.SG.N; Function: Direct object of dimiserit; Translation: “beast,” “livestock”; Notes: generic term for working animals.
  10. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ACC.SG.N.POSS; Function: Possessive modifier of iumentum; Translation: “his”; Notes: reflexive possessive referring back to quispiam.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: purpose conjunction; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: governs the subjunctive depascatur.
  12. depascatur — Lemma: depascor; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may graze”; Notes: deponent verb, passive in form but active in meaning.
  13. aliena — Lemma: alienus; Part of Speech: Adjective (substantive); Form: ACC.PL.N; Function: Object of depascatur; Translation: “what belongs to another,” “another’s property”; Notes: substantivized adjective, referring to foreign property.
  14. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: NOM/ACC.SG.N; Function: Head of subject phrase; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: comprehensive term covering all items owed in restitution.
  15. optimum — Lemma: optimus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: NOM/ACC.SG.N; Function: Predicate within quidquid phrase; Translation: “best”; Notes: superlative specifying that restitution uses highest-quality produce.
  16. habuerit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND; Function: Verb completing quidquid optimum; Translation: “he has,” “he will have had”; Notes: future perfect indicating possession at time of assessment.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: PREP+ABL; Function: Introduces ablative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: spatial/locative use with agro.
  18. agro — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ABL.SG.M; Function: Object of in; Translation: “field”; Notes: indicates the location of the best produce.
  19. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ABL.SG.M.POSS; Function: Modifier of agro; Translation: “his own”; Notes: reinforces ownership of the field.
  20. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: Connects parallel ablative phrases; Translation: “or”; Notes: gives alternative source (field or vineyard).
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: PREP+ABL; Function: Introduces second ablative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: parallels the previous in agro suo.
  22. vinea — Lemma: vinea; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ABL.SG.F; Function: Object of in; Translation: “vineyard”; Notes: alternative source for restitution items.
  23. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: PREP+ABL; Function: Introduces ablative of reference; Translation: “for,” “according to”; Notes: sets standard of valuation.
  24. damni — Lemma: damnum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: GEN.SG.N; Function: Dependent genitive with æstimatione; Translation: “of damage”; Notes: specifies what is being valued.
  25. æstimatione — Lemma: aestimatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ABL.SG.F; Function: Ablative with pro; Translation: “valuation”; Notes: technical legal term for assessed value.
  26. restituet — Lemma: restituo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND; Function: Main verb of apodosis; Translation: “he shall restore”; Notes: expresses legal obligation in future time.

 

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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