Exodus 20:7

Posted on March 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 20:7 Non assumes nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum. nec enim habebit insontem Dominus eum qui assumpserit nomen Domini Dei sui frustra.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes the name of the LORD his God in vain.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV INDECL
2 assumes you shall take 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 nomen name ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
4 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
5 Dei of God GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
6 tui your GEN.SG.M POSS
7 in in PREP+ACC
8 vanum vain ACC.SG.N ADJ POS
9 nec nor CONJ INDECL
10 enim for CONJ INDECL
11 habebit he will have / hold 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 insontem innocent ACC.SG.M/F ADJ POS
13 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL
14 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON.DEM
15 qui who NOM.SG.M PRON.REL
16 assumpserit takes / will have taken 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
17 nomen name ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
18 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
19 Dei of God GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
20 sui his GEN.SG.M REFL
21 frustra in vain ADV INDECL

Syntax

Main Prohibition: Non assumes nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum — direct future prohibition.

Reason Clause: nec enim habebit insontem Dominus eum… expresses divine judgment.

Relative Clause: qui assumpserit nomen Domini Dei sui frustra identifies the person who will not be held guiltless.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard Latin negator.
  2. assumes — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall take”; Notes: Future used as legal command.
  3. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “name”; Notes: Direct object of assumes.
  4. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  5. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive in apposition; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Reinforces divine identity.
  6. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: “your”; Notes: Covenant possessive.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses manner; Translation: “in”; Notes: Forms idiom “in vanum.”
  8. vanum — Lemma: vanus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “vain”; Notes: Sense of “emptiness, futility.”
  9. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces reason; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Strengthens connective “for not even.”
  10. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: explanatory; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives reason.
  11. habebit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of reason clause; Translation: “he will have / hold”; Notes: Idiomatically “will not hold guiltless.”
  12. insontem — Lemma: insons; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine/feminine; Function: object complement; Translation: “innocent”; Notes: Legal declaration.
  13. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: YHWH as judge.
  14. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of habebit; Translation: “him”; Notes: The offender.
  15. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to eum.
  16. assumpserit — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “shall have taken”; Notes: Future perfect for completed wrongful action.
  17. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of assumpserit; Translation: “name”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
  18. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Divine name.
  19. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Emphatic.
  20. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to eum.
  21. frustra — Lemma: frustra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies assumpserit; Translation: “vainly / in vain”; Notes: Intensifies prohibition.

 

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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