Leviticus 25:43

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:43 ne affligas eum per potentiam, sed metuito Deum tuum.

you shall not afflict him by force, but you shall fear your God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ne not / lest CONJ
2 affligas you afflict 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
3 eum him ACC.SG.M.PERS.PRON
4 per by PREP+ACC
5 potentiam power ACC.SG.F.3RD.DECL
6 sed but CONJ
7 metuito you shall fear 2SG.FUT.IND.ACT
8 Deum God ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL
9 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Negative Prohibition: ne affligas eum — jussive construction with present subjunctive expressing a binding ban against abuse.
Means: per potentiam — prepositional phrase specifying coercive force as the forbidden instrument.
Corrective Command: sed metuito Deum tuum — adversative clause replacing oppression with reverent obedience.

Morphology

  1. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a negative command; Translation: not / lest; Notes: Regular marker of prohibition with the subjunctive.
  2. affligas — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of prohibition; Translation: you afflict; Notes: Subjunctive conveys legal force rather than mere advice.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to the impoverished brother.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: means; Translation: by; Notes: Expresses instrument or method.
  5. potentiam — Lemma: potentia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of per; Translation: power; Notes: Denotes coercive strength or authority.
  6. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adversative connector; Translation: but; Notes: Introduces the positive ethical alternative.
  7. metuito — Lemma: metuo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb of command; Translation: you shall fear; Notes: Future indicative functions as a prescriptive command.
  8. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object; Translation: God; Notes: Object of reverence grounding ethical behavior.
  9. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deum; Translation: your; Notes: Personalizes covenant responsibility.

 

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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