Exodus 34:17

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 34:17 Deos conflatiles non facies tibi.

You shall not make molten gods for yourself.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Deos gods ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL
2 conflatiles molten / cast ACC.PL.M ADJ 3RD DECL
3 non not ADV
4 facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
5 tibi for yourself DAT.SG 2ND.PERS.PRON

Syntax

Main Directive:
Deos conflatiles non facies tibi
— “You shall not make molten gods for yourself.”

• Deos conflatiles = direct object phrase, noun + adjective.
• non negates the verb.
• facies = future indicative with legal-imperative force.
• tibi = dative of advantage (“for yourself”), expressing prohibition of private idolatry.

Morphology

  1. Deos — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: gods; Notes: refers to idol images, not true deity.
  2. conflatiles — Lemma: conflātīlis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine, third declension; Function: modifies deos; Translation: molten, cast; Notes: describes idols made by metal casting.
  3. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: not; Notes: standard negator of finite verbs.
  4. facies — Lemma: faciō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: main verb of prohibition with legal force; Translation: you shall make; Notes: future indicative commonly expresses command in legal/covenant contexts.
  5. tibi — Lemma: tū; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: for yourself; Notes: stresses prohibition of idols fashioned for personal or household worship.

 

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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