Leviticus 18:23

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:23 Cum omni pecore non coibis, nec maculaberis cum eo. Mulier non succumbet iumento, nec miscebitur ei: quia scelus est.

With any animal you shall not have relations, nor shall you be defiled with it. A woman shall not submit to a beast, nor shall she be joined to it; for it is a crime.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum with PREP+ABL
2 omni any ABL.SG.N.ADJ
3 pecore animal ABL.SG.N
4 non not ADV
5 coibis you-shall-have-relations 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 nec nor CONJ
7 maculaberis you-shall-be-defiled 2SG.FUT.PASS.IND
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 eo it ABL.SG.PRON.DEM
10 Mulier woman NOM.SG.F
11 non not ADV
12 succumbet she-shall-submit 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 iumento to-beast DAT.SG.N
14 nec nor CONJ
15 miscebitur she-shall-be-joined 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
16 ei to-it DAT.SG.PRON
17 quia for CONJ
18 scelus crime NOM.SG.N
19 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Primary Prohibition (Male Addressee): non coibis — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Prepositional Phrase: cum omni pecore — specifies any animal without exception
Resulting Impurity: nec maculaberis cum eo — coordinated future passive indicating defilement
Parallel Prohibition (Female Subject): Mulier non succumbet iumento — independent clause extending the ban
Coordinated Predicate: nec miscebitur ei — future passive emphasizing forbidden union
Causal Clause: quia scelus est — states the moral–legal rationale

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: association; Translation: with; Notes: Introduces the prohibited partner.
  2. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: modifies pecore; Translation: any; Notes: Expresses totality without exception.
  3. pecore — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular, third declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: animal; Notes: Generic term for livestock or beast.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Marks absolute prohibition.
  5. 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.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Connects reinforcing prohibition.
  7. maculaberis — Lemma: maculo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative passive; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: you shall be defiled; Notes: Highlights ritual and moral impurity.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: association; Translation: with; Notes: Reintroduces the forbidden association.
  9. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of cum; Translation: it; Notes: Refers back to the animal.
  10. Mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: woman; Notes: Introduces a parallel subject.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Reiterates prohibition.
  12. succumbet — Lemma: succumbō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: she shall submit; Notes: Describes yielding in a sexual sense.
  13. iumento — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative neuter singular, second declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to a beast; Notes: Specifies the non-human partner.
  14. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Links parallel predicates.
  15. miscebitur — Lemma: misceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative passive; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: she shall be joined; Notes: Passive emphasizes forbidden union.
  16. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to it; Notes: Refers to the beast.
  17. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: causal connector; Translation: for; Notes: Introduces rationale.
  18. scelus — Lemma: scelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter singular, third declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: crime; Notes: Strong legal–moral condemnation.
  19. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Asserts the evaluation as a fact.

 

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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