Ex 22:22 Viduæ et pupillo non nocebitis.
You shall not harm the widow or the orphan.
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Viduæ |
to the widow |
NOUN.DAT.SG.F.1ST DECL |
| 2 |
et |
and |
CONJ.INDECL |
| 3 |
pupillo |
to the orphan |
NOUN.DAT.SG.M.2ND DECL |
| 4 |
non |
not |
ADV.INDECL |
| 5 |
nocebitis |
you shall harm |
2PL.FUT.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ |
Syntax
Dative of Person Harmed: Viduæ et pupillo — recipients of the negative command.
Main Clause: non nocebitis — future indicative functioning as legal prohibition (“you shall not harm”).
Coordination: et links both protected parties under a single law.
Morphology
- Viduæ — Lemma: vidua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of harm; Translation: “to the widow”; Notes: primary protected class in biblical law.
- et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinated nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
- pupillo — Lemma: pupillus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the orphan”; Notes: refers to a fatherless child.
- non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates nocebitis; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard legal negator.
- nocebitis — Lemma: noceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd plural future active indicative (3rd conjugation); Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall harm”; Notes: future indicative expresses legal command.
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.