Leviticus 19:4

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

4 Nolite converti ad idola, nec deos conflatiles faciatis vobis. Ego Dominus Deus vester.

Do not turn yourselves to idols, nor make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nolite do not 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 converti to be turned / turn yourselves INF.PRES.PASS
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 idola idols ACC.PL.N 2ND DECL NOUN
5 nec nor CONJ
6 deos gods ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL NOUN
7 conflatiles molten ACC.PL.M POS ADJ
8 faciatis you should make 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 vobis for yourselves DAT.PL PERS.PRON
10 Ego I NOM.SG PERS.PRON
11 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
12 Deus God NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
13 vester your NOM.SG.M POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Prohibition: Nolite (negative imperative) + converti (complementary infinitive)

Direction: ad idola (prepositional phrase indicating forbidden orientation)

Coordinated Prohibition: nec faciatis (negative jussive subjunctive)

Direct Object: deos conflatiles (accusative object with descriptive adjective)

Dative of Advantage: vobis (for yourselves)

Authority Clause: Ego Dominus Deus vester (self-identification grounding the command)

Morphology

  1. Nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present imperative active; Function: introduces a general prohibition; Translation: do not; Notes: regularly used with an infinitive to express negative commands.
  2. converti — Lemma: converto; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complements Nolite to express the prohibited action; Translation: to turn yourselves / to be turned; Notes: passive form carries a middle or reflexive sense in context.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: marks direction or orientation; Translation: to; Notes: often used metaphorically for allegiance or devotion.
  4. idola — Lemma: idolum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter plural second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: idols; Notes: borrowed term emphasizing foreign cult images.
  5. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: links parallel prohibitions; Translation: nor; Notes: stronger than simple et non.
  6. deos — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural second declension; Function: direct object of faciatis; Translation: gods; Notes: plural underscores multiplicity of false deities.
  7. conflatiles — Lemma: conflatilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative masculine plural positive degree; Function: modifies deos; Translation: molten; Notes: refers to images produced by melting and casting metal.
  8. faciatis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present subjunctive active; Function: jussive subjunctive under negative coordination; Translation: you should make; Notes: subjunctive aligns with prohibitive force after nec.
  9. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: for yourselves; Notes: highlights self-directed culpability.
  10. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of identification; Translation: I; Notes: emphatic divine self-reference.
  11. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: apposition to Ego; Translation: LORD; Notes: rendered in all caps for YHWH.
  12. Deus — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: further apposition; Translation: God; Notes: affirms exclusive divine identity.
  13. vester — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: modifies Deus; Translation: your; Notes: reinforces covenant relationship.

 

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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