Exodus 21:21

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:21 Sin autem uno die vel duobus supervixerit, non subiacebit pœnæ, quia pecunia illius est.

But if he survives for one day or two, he shall not be subject to punishment, because he is his money.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sin but if CONJ INDECL
2 autem however ADV INDECL
3 uno one ABL.SG.M 1ST/2ND DECL ADJ
4 die day ABL.SG.M 5TH DECL NOUN
5 vel or CONJ INDECL
6 duobus two ABL.PL.M 1ST/2ND DECL ADJ
7 supervixerit has survived 3SG.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ VERB
8 non not ADV INDECL
9 subiacebit will be subject 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND VERB
10 pœnæ to punishment DAT.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN
11 quia because CONJ INDECL
12 pecunia money NOM.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN
13 illius his GEN.SG.M PRON
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND VERB

Syntax

Conditional protasis:
Sin autem uno die vel duobus supervixerit — “But if he survives for one day or two.”
• Sin autem = adversative conditional (“but if”).
• uno die and duobus are ablatives of time.
• supervixerit = future perfect subjunctive, standard legal-case conditional tense indicating a hypothetical survival.

Main apodosis:
non subiacebit pœnæ — “he shall not be subject to punishment.”
• subiacebit = legal future of obligation.
• pœnæ = dative of disadvantage (“to punishment”).

Causal clause:
quia pecunia illius est — “because he is his money.”
• Explanation: the servant is legally considered financial property; therefore the loss is financial, not capital, and does not invoke the death-penalty class of violations.

Morphology

  1. Sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative conditional (“but if”); Translation: but if; Notes: introduces an alternative scenario limiting liability.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/postpositive; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds nuance (“however”); Translation: however; Notes: standard postpositive particle.
  3. uno — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time with die; Translation: one; Notes: limits duration of survival.
  4. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine/feminine 5th declension; Function: ablative of time; Translation: day; Notes: temporal specification.
  5. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins alternative periods; Translation: or; Notes: soft alternative, not exclusive.
  6. duobus — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: two; Notes: indicates extended survival (legal threshold).
  7. supervixerit — Lemma: supervivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of the conditional clause; Translation: has survived; Notes: typical future conditional tense in law codes.
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates subiacebit; Translation: not; Notes: shifts liability away from capital punishment.
  9. subiacebit — Lemma: subiaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: will be subject; Notes: expresses legal consequence.
  10. pœnæ — Lemma: pœna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine 1st declension; Function: dative of reference (“to punishment”); Translation: to punishment; Notes: legal term for prescribed penalty.
  11. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: because; Notes: gives legal rationale.
  12. pecunia — Lemma: pecunia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine 1st declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: money; Notes: legal category: the servant is classified as property.
  13. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: indicates possession; Translation: his; Notes: refers to the master.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: copula linking predicate; Translation: is; Notes: asserts legal identity (“is his money”).

 

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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