Exodus 23:5

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:5 Si videris asinum odientis te iacere sub onere, non pertransibis, sed sublevabis cum eo.

If you see the donkey of the one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall not pass by, but you shall help lift it with him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 videris you see 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
3 asinum donkey ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 odientis of the one hating GEN.SG.M PTCP.PRES.ACT
5 te you ACC.SG PRON
6 iacere lying INF.PRES.ACT
7 sub under PREP+ABL
8 onere burden ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
9 non not ADV
10 pertransibis you will pass by 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 sed but CONJ
12 sublevabis you will lift up 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 cum with PREP+ABL
14 eo him ABL.SG.M PRON

Syntax

Conditional Clause: Si videris — future-perfect protasis (“If you see…”).
Direct object: asinum odientis te — “the donkey of the one who hates you.”
Circumstantial phrase: iacere sub onere — “lying under its burden.”

Main Clause (Negative Command): non pertransibis — “you shall not pass by.”

Contrasting Positive Command: sed sublevabis — “but you shall help lift it.”
With phrase: cum eo — “with him,” the donkey’s owner.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces conditional protasis; Translation: if; Notes: introduces a future-real condition.
  2. videris — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: verb of protasis; Translation: you see; Notes: anticipates a future circumstance.
  3. asinum — Lemma: asinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: donkey; Notes: the animal in distress.
  4. odientis — Lemma: odiens (from odi, present participial form in late Latin usage); Part of Speech: participle; Form: genitive singular masculine, present active; Function: modifier of an implied “man”; Translation: of the one hating; Notes: forms a possessive phrase.
  5. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of odientis; Translation: you; Notes: indicates the target of hatred.
  6. iacere — Lemma: iaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complements videris; Translation: lying; Notes: expresses the condition of the donkey.
  7. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative (here); Function: spatial indicator; Translation: under; Notes: takes ablative because of rest/location.
  8. onere — Lemma: onus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of sub; Translation: burden; Notes: indicates what the donkey is lying beneath.
  9. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates pertransibis.
  10. pertransibis — Lemma: pertranseo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: you will pass by; Notes: conveys neglect.
  11. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: marks contrast; Translation: but; Notes: introduces opposite duty.
  12. sublevabis — Lemma: sublevo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of positive command; Translation: you will lift up; Notes: expresses required assistance.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: signals cooperation with the owner.
  14. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: him; Notes: reference to the donkey’s owner.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.