Exodus 22:17

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

17 Si pater virginis dare noluerit, reddet pecuniam iuxta modum dotis, quam virgines accipere consueverunt.

If the father of the virgin is unwilling to give her, he shall pay money according to the amount of the dowry which virgins are accustomed to receive.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 pater the father NOUN.NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
3 virginis of the virgin NOUN.GEN.SG.F.3RD DECL
4 dare to give INF.PRES.ACT
5 noluerit is unwilling 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
6 reddet he shall pay 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
7 pecuniam money NOUN.ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL
8 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
9 modum amount NOUN.ACC.SG.M.2ND DECL
10 dotis of the dowry NOUN.GEN.SG.F.3RD DECL
11 quam which PRON.ACC.SG.F.REL
12 virgines virgins NOUN.NOM.PL.F.3RD DECL
13 accipere to receive INF.PRES.ACT
14 consueverunt are accustomed 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ

Syntax

Conditional Protasis: Si pater virginis dare noluerit — father’s refusal to give his daughter in marriage.
Main Clause: reddet pecuniam — monetary compensation is required.
Standard of Payment: iuxta modum dotis — “according to the amount of the dowry.”
Relative Clause: quam virgines accipere consueverunt — defines customary dowry expectation.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: legal protasis marker.
  2. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “father”; Notes: legal authority over daughter.
  3. virginis — Lemma: virgo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the virgin”; Notes: identifies whose father.
  4. dare — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of noluerit; Translation: “to give”; Notes: refers to giving the daughter in marriage.
  5. noluerit — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of protasis; Translation: “is unwilling / shall have been unwilling”; Notes: legal-event perfect.
  6. reddet — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future active indicative; Function: main legal obligation; Translation: “he shall pay”; Notes: expresses required compensation.
  7. pecuniam — Lemma: pecunia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “money”; Notes: payment in lieu of marriage.
  8. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses standard of comparison; Translation: “according to”; Notes: common in legal valuation.
  9. modum — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: “amount”; Notes: refers to dowry measure.
  10. dotis — Lemma: dos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of the dowry”; Notes: legal term for marriage payment.
  11. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of infinitive accipere; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to dotis modum.
  12. virgines — Lemma: virgo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of consueverunt; Translation: “virgins”; Notes: general category.
  13. accipere — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to receive”; Notes: describes custom.
  14. consueverunt — Lemma: consuesco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “they are accustomed”; Notes: expresses habitual custom.

 

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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