Leviticus 19:28

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

28 Et super mortuo non incidetis carnem vestram, neque figuras aliquas, aut stigmata facietis vobis. ego Dominus.

And over a dead person you shall not cut your flesh, nor shall you make any figures, or marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 super over / for PREP+ABL
3 mortuo dead person ABL.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
4 non not ADV
5 incidetis you shall cut 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 carnem flesh ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL NOUN
7 vestram your ACC.SG.F POSS.ADJ
8 neque nor CONJ
9 figuras figures ACC.PL.F 1ST DECL NOUN
10 aliquas any ACC.PL.F INDEF.ADJ
11 aut or CONJ
12 stigmata marks ACC.PL.N 3RD DECL NOUN
13 facietis you shall make 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
14 vobis for yourselves DAT.PL PERS.PRON
15 ego I NOM.SG PERS.PRON
16 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN

Syntax

Contextual Frame: Et super mortuo (prepositional phrase with ablative expressing occasion or cause)

Primary Prohibition: non incidetis carnem vestram (negative future indicative; direct object with possessive modifier)

Coordinated Prohibition: neque figuras aliquas aut stigmata facietis vobis (negative coordination; compound objects with dative of reference)

Authority Formula: ego Dominus (divine self-identification grounding the prohibition)

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links this command to the preceding series; Translation: and; Notes: maintains continuity in the legal discourse.
  2. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: expresses cause or occasion; Translation: over / for; Notes: used in contexts of mourning or motivation.
  3. mortuo — Lemma: mortuus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular second declension; Function: object of super; Translation: dead person; Notes: refers to the deceased as the occasion of mourning.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates the verb; Translation: not; Notes: standard marker of prohibition.
  5. incidetis — Lemma: incido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: prohibition; Translation: you shall cut; Notes: future indicative used prescriptively in ritual law.
  6. carnem — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular third declension; Function: direct object of incidetis; Translation: flesh; Notes: refers to the human body.
  7. vestram — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: modifies carnem; Translation: your; Notes: emphasizes personal responsibility.
  8. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: introduces an additional prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: cumulative negation.
  9. figuras — Lemma: figura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural first declension; Function: direct object of facietis; Translation: figures; Notes: refers to shaped designs or images.
  10. aliquas — Lemma: aliqui; Part of Speech: indefinite adjective; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: modifies figuras; Translation: any; Notes: broadens the scope of the ban.
  11. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: disjunctive; Function: links alternative objects; Translation: or; Notes: presents another prohibited practice.
  12. stigmata — Lemma: stigma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter plural third declension; Function: direct object of facietis; Translation: marks; Notes: denotes punctures, brands, or incisions.
  13. facietis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: prohibition; Translation: you shall make; Notes: future indicative with prescriptive force.
  14. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of reference or advantage; Translation: for yourselves; Notes: indicates self-directed action.
  15. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of identification; Translation: I; Notes: emphatic divine self-reference.
  16. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: apposition to ego; Translation: LORD; Notes: rendered in all caps when referring to YHWH.

 

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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