Exodus 21:30

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:30 Quod si pretium fuerit ei impositum, dabit pro anima sua quidquid fuerit postulatus.

But if a price has been imposed upon him, he shall give for his life whatever he has been asked.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod but CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 pretium price NOUN.NOM.SG.N.2ND DECL
4 fuerit shall have been 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
5 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M.3RD.PERS
6 impositum imposed PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.N
7 dabit he shall give 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
8 pro for PREP+ABL
9 anima life NOUN.ABL.SG.F.1ST DECL
10 sua his PRON.ABL.SG.F.REFL
11 quidquid whatever PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N.INDEF
12 fuerit shall have been 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
13 postulatus asked PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Conditional Frame: Quod si introduces a new conditional provision.
Protasis: pretium fuerit ei impositum — pretium (subject) + fuerit impositum (periphrastic passive perfect) + ei (indirect object).
Main Clause: dabit pro anima sua quidquid fuerit postulatus — he must pay whatever amount has been demanded.
Relative/Indefinite Clause: quidquid fuerit postulatus modifies the unspecified amount owed.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a new legal case; Translation: “but”; Notes: Transitional legal marker connecting to the previous law.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conditional protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Standard conditional particle.
  3. pretium — Lemma: pretium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: subject of fuerit impositum; Translation: “price,” “fine”; Notes: Indicates financial penalty.
  4. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary in passive periphrasis; Translation: “shall have been”; Notes: Marks completed imposition before payment.
  5. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the liable owner.
  6. impositum — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate in periphrastic construction modifying pretium; Translation: “imposed”; Notes: Passive participle describing the legal fine.
  7. dabit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: “he shall give”; Notes: Legal obligation to pay.
  8. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses exchange; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces compensation clause.
  9. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of pro; Translation: “life”; Notes: Indicates life-value substitution.
  10. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies anima; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the liable owner’s life.
  11. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: object of dabit by sense; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: Refers to the unspecified demanded sum.
  12. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary with postulatus; Translation: “shall have been”; Notes: Completes passive perfect sense.
  13. postulatus — Lemma: postulo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate with fuerit referring to the demanded amount; Translation: “asked,” “demanded”; Notes: Legal demand placed on the guilty party.

 

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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