Exodus 34:14

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

14 noli adorare deum alienum. Dominus zelotes nomen eius, Deus est æmulator.

do not worship a foreign god. The LORD zealous is His name, is a God who is an avenger.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 noli do not 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP + INF CONSTRUCTION
2 adorare to worship PRES.ACT.INF 1ST CONJ
3 deum god ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 alienum foreign ACC.SG.M ADJ 2ND DECL
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL
6 zelotes zealous NOM.SG.M NOUN/ADJ INDECL
7 nomen name NOM/ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
8 eius his GEN.SG M/F/N PERS.PRON
9 Deus God NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG
11 æmulator avenger / jealous one NOM.SG.M 3RD DECL

Syntax

Imperative Clause:
noli adorare deum alienum — “do not worship a foreign god.”
• noli + infinitive adorare = negative imperative construction.
• deum alienum = direct object + adjective.

Naming Formula:
Dominus zelotes nomen eius — “the LORD—zealous is His name.”
• Dominus = subject.
• zelotes = nominative in predicate position describing His nature.
• nomen eius = “His name,” identifying divine title.

Nominal Sentence:
Deus est æmulator — “God is an avenger.”
• Stresses divine jealousy in covenant context.

Morphology

  1. noli — Lemma: nōlō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative used with infinitive; Function: expresses prohibition; Translation: do not; Notes: classical negative imperative formed by noli + infinitive.
  2. adorare — Lemma: adorō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of noli; Translation: to worship; Notes: expresses prohibited action.
  3. deum — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of adorare; Translation: god; Notes: refers to any deity other than YHWH.
  4. alienum — Lemma: aliēnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies deum; Translation: foreign; Notes: denotes forbidden pagan deity.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus (YHWH); Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: rendered as “LORD” because reference is to YHWH.
  6. zelotes — Lemma: zēlōtēs; Part of Speech: descriptive noun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative modifying Dominus; Translation: zealous; Notes: divine title expressing covenant jealousy.
  7. nomen — Lemma: nōmen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of implied clause; Translation: name; Notes: used here in nominative: “His name [is].”
  8. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifying nomen; Translation: his; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  9. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: God; Notes: second use emphasizes divine nature.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: links subject and predicate noun.
  11. æmulator — Lemma: aemulātor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: avenger / jealous one; Notes: expresses divine retributive justice.

 

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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