Exodus 23:13

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

13 Omnia quæ dixi vobis, custodite. Et per nomen externorum deorum non iurabitis, neque audietur ex ore vestro.

All the things which I have spoken to you, keep. And by the name of foreign gods you shall not swear, nor shall it be heard from your mouth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnia all things ACC.PL.N PRON INDEF
2 quæ which NOM.PL.N PRON REL
3 dixi I said 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 vobis to you DAT.PL.PRON PERS
5 custodite keep 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
6 Et and CONJ
7 per by PREP+ACC
8 nomen name ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
9 externorum of foreign GEN.PL.M ADJ POS 1ST/2ND DECL
10 deorum of gods GEN.PL.M 2ND DECL
11 non not ADV
12 iurabitis you shall swear 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
13 neque nor CONJ
14 audietur it shall be heard 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
15 ex from PREP+ABL
16 ore mouth ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
17 vestro your ABL.SG.N POSS

Syntax

Main Imperative: Omnia quæ dixi vobis custodite — “Keep all the things which I have spoken to you.”
• Omnia = object of custodite.
• quæ dixi vobis = relative clause modifying omnia.

Second Prohibition:
per nomen externorum deorum non iurabitis — “you shall not swear by the name of foreign gods.”

Third Prohibition:
neque audietur ex ore vestro — “nor shall it be heard from your mouth,” i.e., no mention of foreign gods.

Morphology

  1. Omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: all things; Notes: introduces totality of commands.
  2. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of dixi; Translation: which; Notes: introduces relative clause.
  3. dixi — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: I said; Notes: refers to divine speech.
  4. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun (personal); Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: refers to Israel.
  5. custodite — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd plural; Function: main command; Translation: keep; Notes: legal imperative requiring obedience.
  6. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces new command; Translation: and; Notes: connects sequential prohibitions.
  7. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces agent of oath; Translation: by; Notes: expresses oath formula.
  8. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of per; Translation: name; Notes: refers to divine identity.
  9. externorum — Lemma: externus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies deorum; Translation: of foreign; Notes: indicates pagan nations.
  10. deorum — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of gods; Notes: forbidden objects of oath.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates future indicative prohibition.
  12. iurabitis — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 2nd plural; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: you shall swear; Notes: future indicative used legally as command.
  13. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces additional prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: strengthens ban.
  14. audietur — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative, 3rd singular; Function: verb of new prohibition; Translation: it shall be heard; Notes: passive literal sense: no utterance of foreign gods.
  15. ex — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: idiomatic in speech contexts.
  16. ore — Lemma: os (oris); Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of ex; Translation: mouth; Notes: literal speech organ.
  17. vestro — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies ore; Translation: your; Notes: refers to whole community.

 

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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