Leviticus 18:12

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:12 Turpitudinem sororis patris tui non discooperies: quia caro est patris tui.

The nakedness of your father’s sister you shall not uncover; for she is the flesh of your father.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
2 sororis of-sister GEN.SG.F
3 patris of-father GEN.SG.M
4 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
5 non not ADV
6 discooperies you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 quia for CONJ
8 caro flesh NOM.SG.F
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 patris of-father GEN.SG.M
11 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non discooperies — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Direct Object: turpitudinem sororis patris tui — forbidden sexual exposure defined by paternal sibling relation
Causal Clause: quia caro est patris tui — grounds the prohibition in shared paternal flesh and kinship

Morphology

  1. Turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nakedness; Notes: Legal euphemism for prohibited sexual exposure.
  2. sororis — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular, third declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of sister; Notes: Specifies sibling relationship.
  3. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, third declension; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: of father; Notes: Identifies the paternal line.
  4. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies patris; Translation: your; Notes: Direct address to the hearer.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute legal negation.
  6. discooperies — Lemma: discooperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: you shall uncover; Notes: Legal future with imperative force.
  7. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: causal connector; Translation: for; Notes: Introduces the reason clause.
  8. caro — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: flesh; Notes: Expresses close blood kinship.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: States the rationale as a factual identity.
  10. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, third declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of father; Notes: Grounds the kinship claim.
  11. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies patris; Translation: your; Notes: Reiterates personal relation.

 

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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