4 si mulier, triginta.
if a woman, thirty.
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
si |
if |
CONJ |
| 2 |
mulier |
woman |
NOM.SG.F |
| 3 |
triginta |
thirty |
INDECL.NUM |
Syntax
Elliptical Conditional Clause: si (condition marker) + mulier (implied subject complement)
Elliptical Main Clause: triginta — implied predicate (“[he will give] thirty”)
This clause omits the repeated verb and object from the preceding verse. The understood structure is parallel: if the person is a woman, the valuation is thirty shekels.
Morphology
- si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces the conditional case category; Translation: if; Notes: The conjunction continues the legal pattern established in the previous sentence, presenting a new classification scenario.
- mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: subject of the implied verb fuerit; Translation: woman; Notes: The nominative signals a new valuation category based on sex, parallel to masculus in the preceding clause.
- triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal numeral; Function: implied direct object of the understood verb dabit; Translation: thirty; Notes: The numeral stands absolutely, relying on contextual ellipsis for completion, indicating thirty shekels under the same sanctuary standard.
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.