Exodus 21:24

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:24 oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede,

Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 oculum eye ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
2 pro for PREP+ABL PREP
3 oculo eye ABL.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
4 dentem tooth ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL NOUN
5 pro for PREP+ABL PREP
6 dente tooth ABL.SG.M 3RD DECL NOUN
7 manum hand ACC.SG.F 4TH DECL NOUN
8 pro for PREP+ABL PREP
9 manu hand ABL.SG.F 4TH DECL NOUN
10 pedem foot ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL NOUN
11 pro for PREP+ABL PREP
12 pede foot ABL.SG.M 3RD DECL NOUN

Syntax

Parallel talionic formulas:
The verse is made of four parallel justice formulas, each with the same structure:
Accusative noun + prepositional phrase (pro + ablative noun).

1. oculum pro oculo — “eye for eye”
• Accusative oculum balanced by pro oculo, expressing exact equivalence.

2. dentem pro dente — “tooth for tooth”
• Same pattern applied to dental injury.

3. manum pro manu — “hand for hand”
• Injuries to the hand demand equivalent compensation.

4. pedem pro pede — “foot for foot”
• Final member of the series, extending the rule to the feet.

The implied verb (e.g., “shall give” or “shall pay”) is omitted, leaving a compressed legal formula built entirely from noun–preposition pairs.

Morphology

  1. oculum — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: direct object in the compressed legal formula, representing the injured “eye” to be compensated; Translation: eye; Notes: first term in the “eye for eye” talionic pair.
  2. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces the compensatory equivalent; Translation: for; Notes: standard preposition of exchange or equivalence in lex talionis.
  3. oculo — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: object of pro, indicating the eye given in return; Translation: eye; Notes: forms the exact balancing term “for eye.”
  4. dentem — Lemma: dens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: direct object in the second formula; Translation: tooth; Notes: stands for the tooth originally injured or lost.
  5. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: marks compensatory exchange; Translation: for; Notes: repeats the same prepositional pattern as above.
  6. dente — Lemma: dens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: tooth; Notes: expresses the tooth given in return as equivalent penalty.
  7. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine 4th declension; Function: direct object in the third formula; Translation: hand; Notes: one of the rare feminine 4th-declension nouns, here representing the injured hand.
  8. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces the compensating member of the pair; Translation: for; Notes: keeps the same legal equivalence pattern.
  9. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine 4th declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: hand; Notes: specifies the “hand in exchange” in the justice formula.
  10. pedem — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: direct object in the fourth formula; Translation: foot; Notes: represents the injured foot requiring equivalent compensation.
  11. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: connects injury and recompense; Translation: for; Notes: unchanged prepositional use in all four clauses.
  12. pede — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: object of pro, indicating the compensatory foot; Translation: foot; Notes: closes the sequence of balanced, body-part-for-body-part penalties.

 

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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