Exodus 22:29

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 22:29 Decimas tuas et primitias tuas non tardabis reddere, primogenitum filiorum tuorum dabis mihi.

You shall not delay to return your tithes and your firstfruits; the firstborn of your sons you shall give to me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Decimas tithes ADJ.ACC.PL.F.POS
2 tuas your PRON.ACC.PL.F.POSS
3 et and CONJ.INDECL
4 primitias firstfruits NOUN.ACC.PL.F.1ST DECL
5 tuas your PRON.ACC.PL.F.POSS
6 non not ADV.INDECL
7 tardabis you shall delay 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
8 reddere to return INF.PRES.ACT
9 primogenitum firstborn ADJ.ACC.SG.M.POS
10 filiorum of the sons NOUN.GEN.PL.M.2ND DECL
11 tuorum your PRON.GEN.PL.M.POSS
12 dabis you shall give 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
13 mihi to me PRON.DAT.SG.1.PERS

Syntax

Object Pair: Decimas tuas et primitias tuas — coordinated objects governed by tardabis reddere.
Main Prohibition: non tardabis reddere — future indicative expresses a binding legal command.
Second Command: primogenitum filiorum tuorum dabis mihi — primogenitum as object; mihi dative of recipient (YHWH).
Genitive Phrase: filiorum tuorum — possessive genitive modifying primogenitum.

Morphology

  1. Decimas — Lemma: decimus; Part of Speech: adjective (used substantively); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “tithes”; Notes: refers to required tenth portions.
  2. tuas — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies decimas; Translation: “your”; Notes: assigns ownership.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  4. primitias — Lemma: primitia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “firstfruits”; Notes: refers to earliest yield dedicated to YHWH.
  5. tuas — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies primitias; Translation: “your”; Notes: parallels first object.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates tardabis; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard legal negator.
  7. tardabis — Lemma: tardo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall delay”; Notes: future indicative expresses binding legal command.
  8. reddere — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to return”; Notes: completes meaning of tardabis.
  9. primogenitum — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective used as noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of dabis; Translation: “firstborn”; Notes: denotes the firstborn male.
  10. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possession; Translation: “of the sons”; Notes: modifies primogenitum.
  11. tuorum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies filiorum; Translation: “your”; Notes: establishes relationship.
  12. dabis — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “you shall give”; Notes: future indicative expresses legal obligation.
  13. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: refers to YHWH as recipient.

 

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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