Leviticus 18:20

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:20 Cum uxore proximi tui non coibis, nec seminis commistione maculaberis.

With the wife of your neighbor you shall not have relations, nor shall you be defiled by the mixing of seed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum with PREP+ABL
2 uxore wife ABL.SG.F
3 proximi of-neighbor GEN.SG.M
4 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
5 non not ADV
6 coibis you-shall-cohabit 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 nec nor CONJ
8 seminis of-seed GEN.SG.N
9 commistione by-mixing ABL.SG.F
10 maculaberis you-shall-be-defiled 2SG.FUT.PASS.IND

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non coibis — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Prepositional Phrase: cum uxore proximi tui — specifies the forbidden sexual partner
Coordinated Prohibition: nec maculaberis — parallel ban emphasizing resulting impurity
Ablative of Means: seminis commistione — indicates the means by which defilement would occur

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: association; Translation: with; Notes: Introduces the person involved in the prohibited act.
  2. uxore — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular, third declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: wife; Notes: Indicates a lawful wife belonging to another man.
  3. proximi — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: genitive masculine singular, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of neighbor; Notes: Defines social and covenantal closeness.
  4. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies proximi; Translation: your; Notes: Personalizes the ethical obligation.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Marks an absolute legal prohibition.
  6. coibis — Lemma: coeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: you shall have relations; Notes: Euphemistic legal term for sexual intercourse.
  7. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Connects a second, reinforcing prohibition.
  8. seminis — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive neuter singular, third declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of seed; Notes: Refers to male generative substance.
  9. commistione — Lemma: commistio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular, third declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: mixing; Notes: Describes the physical act leading to impurity.
  10. maculaberis — Lemma: maculo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative passive; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: you shall be defiled; Notes: Highlights the moral and ritual consequence of the act.

 

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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