Exodus 23:1

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:1 Non suscipies vocem mendacii: nec iunges manum tuam ut pro impio dicas falsum testimonium.

You will not take up a voice of falsehood, nor will you join your hand so that you speak false testimony for the wicked.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 suscipies you will take up 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 vocem voice ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL
4 mendacii of falsehood GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
5 nec nor CONJ
6 iunges you will join 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 manum hand ACC.SG.F 4TH DECL
8 tuam your ACC.SG.F POSS
9 ut so that CONJ
10 pro for PREP+ABL
11 impio wicked (person) ABL.SG.M 2ND DECL
12 dicas you may say 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 falsum false ACC.SG.N ADJ POS
14 testimonium testimony ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Non suscipies — verb phrase with negation;
vocem (object) + mendacii (genitive modifier).

Main Clause 2: nec iunges — coordinated verb phrase;
manum tuam (object).

Subordinate Clause: Introduced by ut (“so that”);
dicas (subjunctive verb) + falsum testimonium (object phrase).
pro impio — prepositional phrase expressing advantage for the wicked.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates the finite verb.
  2. suscipies — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you will take up; Notes: governs direct object vocem.
  3. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: voice; Notes: modified by genitive mendacii.
  4. mendacii — Lemma: mendacium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of falsehood; Notes: specifies the nature of the “voice.”
  5. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links coordinated verbs; Translation: nor; Notes: adds a second prohibition.
  6. iunges — Lemma: iungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you will join; Notes: parallels suscipies.
  7. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 4th declension; Function: direct object; Translation: hand; Notes: object of iunges.
  8. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies manum; Translation: your; Notes: agrees in case, number, and gender.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: governs subjunctive verb.
  10. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: prepositional marker; Translation: for; Notes: expresses advantage.
  11. impio — Lemma: impius; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: the wicked; Notes: refers to a wicked person.
  12. dicas — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 2nd person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: you may say; Notes: governed by ut.
  13. falsum — Lemma: falsus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies testimonium; Translation: false; Notes: neuter agreeing with noun.
  14. testimonium — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of dicas; Translation: testimony; Notes: receives the adjective falsum.

 

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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