Leviticus 25:17

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:17 Nolite affligere contribules vestros, sed timeat unusquisque Deum suum, quia ego Dominus Deus vester.

You shall not oppress your fellow countrymen, but let each one fear his God, for I am the LORD your God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nolite do not 2PL.PRES.IMP.MOOD
2 affligere to oppress INF.PRES.ACT
3 contribules fellow countrymen ACC.PL.M.3RD.DECL
4 vestros your ACC.PL.M.POSS
5 sed but CONJ
6 timeat let (him) fear 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
7 unusquisque each one NOM.SG.M.INDEF
8 Deum God ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL
9 suum his own ACC.SG.M.POSS.REFL
10 quia for CONJ
11 ego I NOM.SG.PERS
12 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
13 Deus God NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
14 vester your NOM.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Prohibition: Nolite affligere — negative imperative formed with nolite + infinitive, expressing a categorical ban.
Direct Object: contribules vestros — the in-group recipients of the prohibited action.
Corrective Exhortation: sed timeat unusquisque Deum suum — adversative clause with a jussive subjunctive directing proper conduct.
Grounding Clause: quia ego Dominus Deus vester — causal assertion establishing divine authority as the reason for the command.

Morphology

  1. Nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present imperative; Function: introduces a negative command; Translation: do not; Notes: Standard construction for prohibitions using nolite + infinitive.
  2. affligere — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of nolite; Translation: to oppress; Notes: Conveys harsh treatment, pressure, or exploitation.
  3. contribules — Lemma: contribulis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, third declension; Function: direct object of affligere; Translation: fellow countrymen; Notes: Emphasizes shared tribal and covenant identity.
  4. vestros — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies contribules; Translation: your; Notes: Reinforces internal communal obligation.
  5. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: Shifts from prohibition to positive moral requirement.
  6. timeat — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: jussive subjunctive; Translation: let (him) fear; Notes: Expresses an exhortation addressed distributively.
  7. unusquisque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of timeat; Translation: each one; Notes: Individualizes responsibility within the community.
  8. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of timeat; Translation: God; Notes: Object of reverent fear rather than mere dread.
  9. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deum; Translation: his own; Notes: Reflexive ties the obligation personally to each individual.
  10. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: for; Notes: Grounds ethics in divine identity.
  11. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of the copular assertion; Translation: I; Notes: Emphatic self-identification.
  12. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: LORD; Notes: Renders the divine name when referring to YHWH.
  13. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: appositional predicate nominative; Translation: God; Notes: Reinforces authority and covenant relationship.
  14. vester — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deus; Translation: your; Notes: Concludes with communal ownership of the covenant bond.

 

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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