Exodus 21:36

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:36 Sin autem sciebat quod bos cornupeta esset ab heri et nudiustertius, et non custodivit eum dominus suus: reddet bovem pro bove, et cadaver integrum accipiet.

But if he knew that the ox was a gorer from yesterday and the day before, and its owner did not guard it, he shall repay an ox for an ox, and he shall receive the whole carcass.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sin but if CONJ
2 autem however CONJ
3 sciebat he knew 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND.4TH CONJ
4 quod that PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N.REL
5 bos ox NOUN.NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
6 cornupeta goring ADJ.NOM.SG.M.POS
7 esset was 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
8 ab from PREP+ABL
9 heri yesterday ADV.INDECL
10 et and CONJ
11 nudiustertius the day before yesterday ADV/ADJ.INVAR
12 et and CONJ
13 non not ADV.INDECL
14 custodivit guarded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
15 eum it PRON.ACC.SG.M.PERS
16 dominus the owner NOUN.NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
17 suus his own ADJ.NOM.SG.M.POSS
18 reddet he shall repay 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
19 bovem ox NOUN.ACC.SG.M.3RD DECL
20 pro for PREP+ABL
21 bove ox NOUN.ABL.SG.M.3RD DECL
22 et and CONJ
23 cadaver carcass NOUN.ACC.SG.N.3RD DECL
24 integrum whole ADJ.ACC.SG.N.POS
25 accipiet he shall receive 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ

Syntax

Conditional/Contrastive Protasis: Sin autem sciebat quod bos cornupeta esset ab heri et nudiustertius — subject = implied “he”; knowledge clause with quod… esset.
Negligence Clause: et non custodivit eum dominus suus — subject = dominus suus; object = eum.
Main Apodosis: reddet bovem pro bove — restitution.
Secondary Apodosis: et cadaver integrum accipiet — he receives the carcass whole.
Temporal Adverbs: heri, nudiustertius establish prior knowledge of danger.

Morphology

  1. Sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces alternative/contrastive condition; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Common in legal counter-cases.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds contrast; Translation: “however”; Notes: Emphasizes distinction from previous law.
  3. sciebat — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of protasis; Translation: “he knew”; Notes: Knowledge is key to legal culpability.
  4. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Object clause of sciebat.
  5. bos — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of esset; Translation: “ox”; Notes: The dangerous animal.
  6. cornupeta — Lemma: cornupeta; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “a gorer”; Notes: Indicates habitual dangerous behavior.
  7. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of reported fact; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive required after sciebat quod in classical/legal style.
  8. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses temporal source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used with adverbs of time.
  9. heri — Lemma: heri; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal indicator; Translation: “yesterday”; Notes: First element of known dangerous behavior.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links temporal adverbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination.
  11. nudiustertius — Lemma: nudiustertius; Part of Speech: adverb/adjective; Form: invariable; Function: temporal specification; Translation: “the day before yesterday”; Notes: Legal reinforcement of prior knowledge.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects negligence clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins clauses.
  13. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Marks failure of duty.
  14. custodivit — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: verb of negligence; Translation: “guarded”; Notes: Negligence is legally decisive.
  15. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of custodivit; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the ox.
  16. dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the owner”; Notes: Possessor liable for negligence.
  17. suus — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies dominus; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to the same subject.
  18. reddet — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future active indicative; Function: main apodosis verb; Translation: “he shall repay”; Notes: Specifies legal restitution.
  19. bovem — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “an ox”; Notes: Restitution amount.
  20. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: exchange value; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates equivalence.
  21. bove — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: governed by pro; Translation: “for an ox”; Notes: Replaces dead or injured ox.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces second apodosis verb; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating consequence.
  23. cadaver — Lemma: cadaver; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of accipiet; Translation: “carcass”; Notes: Compensation item.
  24. integrum — Lemma: integer; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies cadaver; Translation: “whole”; Notes: Indicates unshared carcass.
  25. accipiet — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future active indicative; Function: final apodosis verb; Translation: “he shall receive”; Notes: Legal entitlement.

 

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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