Exodus 22:20

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 22:20 Qui immolat diis, occidetur, præterquam Domino soli.

Whoever sacrifices to gods shall be put to death, except to the LORD alone.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui whoever PRON.NOM.SG.M.REL
2 immolat sacrifices 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
3 diis to gods NOUN.DAT/ABL.PL.M.2ND DECL
4 occidetur shall be put to death 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND.3RD CONJ
5 præterquam except CONJ.INDECL
6 Domino to the LORD NOUN.DAT.SG.M.2ND DECL
7 soli alone ADJ.DAT.SG.M.POS

Syntax

Legal Subject: Qui — introduces universal legal case (“whoever”).
Main Clause: immolat diis — action + dative of indirect object (“sacrifices to gods”).
Penalty Clause: occidetur — passive future (“shall be put to death”).
Exception Clause: præterquam Domino soli — exclusion of legitimate worship; Domino = YHWH, not a human lord.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of legal clause; Translation: “whoever”; Notes: introduces open-ended legal category.
  2. immolat — Lemma: immolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of offense; Translation: “sacrifices”; Notes: technical religious term.
  3. diis — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative/ablative plural masculine; Function: indirect object of immolat; Translation: “to gods”; Notes: indicates pagan deities.
  4. occidetur — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future passive indicative (3rd conjugation); Function: main legal penalty; Translation: “shall be put to death”; Notes: legal execution formula.
  5. præterquam — Lemma: præterquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces exception; Translation: “except”; Notes: often used in exclusion clauses.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: object of exception clause; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: here refers to YHWH and must be translated “LORD.”
  7. soli — Lemma: solus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifier of Domino; Translation: “alone”; Notes: expresses exclusivity of worship.

 

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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