Exodus 21:27

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:27 Dentem quoque si excusserit servo vel ancillæ suæ, similiter dimittet eos liberos.

If he also knocks out the tooth of his male servant or of his female servant, he shall likewise release them free.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dentem tooth NOUN.ACC.SG.M.3RD DECL
2 quoque also ADV.INDECL
3 si if CONJ
4 excusserit knocks out 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
5 servo of the servant NOUN.DAT/ABL.SG.M.2ND DECL
6 vel or CONJ
7 ancillæ of the female servant NOUN.DAT/ABL.SG.F.1ST DECL
8 suæ his PRON.GEN.SG.F.REFL
9 similiter likewise ADV.INDECL
10 dimittet he will release 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
11 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M.PERS
12 liberos free ADJ.ACC.PL.M.POS

Syntax

Conditional Clause: si excusserit introduces the condition; servo vel ancillæ suæ forms a dative of disadvantage (injured party).
Main Clause: dimittet eos liberos expresses obligatory release.
Adverbs: quoque and similiter mark the action as parallel to the previous law.
Direct Object: Dentem — the injured body part forming the legal cause.

Morphology

  1. Dentem — Lemma: dens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “tooth”; Notes: Object of injury.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Connects with previous legal clauses.
  3. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Legal protasis marker.
  4. excusserit — Lemma: excutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “he knocks out”; Notes: Future perfect expresses completed injury before release.
  5. servo — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative/ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: dative of disadvantage; Translation: “to the servant”; Notes: Person harmed.
  6. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: alternative marker; Translation: “or”; Notes: Allows either category.
  7. ancillæ — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative/ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: dative of disadvantage; Translation: “to the female servant”; Notes: Parallel to *servo*.
  8. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies *ancillæ*; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to subject implied in condition.
  9. similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies *dimittet*; Translation: “likewise”; Notes: Reinforces parallel judgment.
  10. dimittet — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: “he will release”; Notes: Expresses legal consequence.
  11. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of *dimittet*; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the injured servant(s).
  12. liberos — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “free”; Notes: Legal status conferred.

 

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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