Exodus 22:14

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 22:14 Qui a proximo suo quidquam horum mutuo postulaverit, et debilitatum aut mortuum fuerit domino non præsente, reddere compelletur.

Whoever shall have asked from his neighbor anything of these on loan, and it has been weakened or has died with the master not present, he shall be compelled to restore.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui whoever PRON.NOM.SG.M.REL
2 a from PREP+ABL
3 proximo his neighbor NOUN.ABL.SG.M.2ND DECL
4 suo his PRON.ABL.SG.M.REFL
5 quidquam anything PRON.ACC.SG.N.INDEF
6 horum of these PRON.GEN.PL.N.DEM
7 mutuo on loan ADV.INDECL
8 postulaverit shall have asked 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
9 et and CONJ
10 debilitatum weakened PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM/ACC.SG.N
11 aut or CONJ
12 mortuum died PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM/ACC.SG.N
13 fuerit has been 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
14 domino the master NOUN.ABL.SG.M.2ND DECL
15 non not ADV.INDECL
16 præsente being present PTCP.PRES.ACT.ABL.SG.M/F/N
17 reddere to restore INF.PRES.ACT
18 compelletur he shall be compelled 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND.3RD CONJ

Syntax

Relative Legal Subject: Qui … postulaverit — defines the borrower in a legal case.
Source Phrase: a proximo suo — ablative of source (“from his neighbor”).
Direct Object: quidquam horum — “anything of these,” broad legal category of borrowable property.
Adverbial Phrase: mutuo — indicates the property was taken “on loan.”
Compound Result Clause: et debilitatum aut mortuum fuerit — two possible fates of the borrowed item.
Ablative Absolute: domino non præsente — limits liability depending on whether the owner was present.
Main Legal Consequence: reddere compelletur — passive future: “he shall be compelled to restore.”

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of legal clause; Translation: “whoever”; Notes: introduces general legal case.
  2. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: shortened before consonants.
  3. proximo — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: noun/adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of a; Translation: “(from) his neighbor”; Notes: common legal term.
  4. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies proximo; Translation: “his”; Notes: refers back to subject qui.
  5. quidquam — Lemma: quidquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “anything”; Notes: used in legal inclusivity.
  6. horum — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: possessive genitive modifying quidquam; Translation: “of these”; Notes: refers to listed categories.
  7. mutuo — Lemma: mutuo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses manner (loan status); Translation: “on loan”; Notes: technical financial/legal adverb.
  8. postulaverit — Lemma: postulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of protasis; Translation: “shall have asked / has asked”; Notes: future perfect common in legal protasis.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links result states; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordinates conditions.
  10. debilitatum — Lemma: debilitatus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “weakened”; Notes: injured or damaged property.
  11. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: exclusive alternative; Translation: “or”; Notes: excludes overlap.
  12. mortuum — Lemma: mortuus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: second possible fate of property; Translation: “dead”; Notes: dead livestock.
  13. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary completing passive construction; Translation: “has been / shall have been”; Notes: legal event perfect.
  14. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: in ablative absolute; Translation: “with the master”; Notes: refers to owner of borrowed item.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation in ablative absolute; Translation: “not”; Notes: emphasizes absence.
  16. præsente — Lemma: praesens; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “being present”; Notes: temporal/conditional modifier.
  17. reddere — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of passive verb; Translation: “to restore”; Notes: describes legal obligation.
  18. compelletur — Lemma: compello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall be compelled”; Notes: expresses mandatory restitution.

 

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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