Ex 22:18 Maleficos non patieris vivere.
you shall not allow sorcerers to live.
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Maleficos |
sorcerers |
NOUN.ACC.PL.M.2ND DECL |
| 2 |
non |
not |
ADV.INDECL |
| 3 |
patieris |
you shall allow |
2SG.FUT.DEP.IND.3RD CONJ |
| 4 |
vivere |
to live |
INF.PRES.ACT |
Syntax
Main Clause: Maleficos non patieris — direct object (maleficos) + negated future deponent verb (patieris).
Complementary Infinitive: vivere — completes the meaning of patieris (“allow to live”).
Legal Force: Simple prohibition expressed through future indicative functioning as an imperative.
Morphology
- Maleficos — Lemma: maleficus; Part of Speech: noun/adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “sorcerers”; Notes: term includes practitioners of harmful magic.
- non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates patieris; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard legal negation.
- patieris — Lemma: patior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: 2nd singular future deponent indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: “you shall allow / permit”; Notes: future indicative expresses legal command.
- vivere — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with patieris; Translation: “to live”; Notes: clarifies what is not permitted.
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.