Exodus 22:28

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

28 Diis non detrahes, et principi populi tui non maledices.

You shall not speak ill of the gods, and you shall not curse the ruler of your people.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Diis to the gods NOUN.DAT/ABL.PL.M.2ND DECL
2 non not ADV.INDECL
3 detr a hes you shall speak ill 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND.2ND CONJ
4 et and CONJ.INDECL
5 principi to the ruler NOUN.DAT.SG.M.3RD DECL
6 populi of the people NOUN.GEN.SG.M.2ND DECL
7 tui your PRON.GEN.SG.M.POSS
8 non not ADV.INDECL
9 maledices you shall curse 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND.2ND CONJ

Syntax

Prohibition 1: Diis non detrahes — dative of reference (“to the gods”) with legal future.
Coordinator: et — links two equal legal commands.
Prohibition 2: principi populi tui non maledices — principi is dative with verbs of cursing; populi tui is genitive of possession modifying principi.
Overall Structure: two parallel prohibitions governing speech directed at divine and civil authority.

Morphology

  1. Diis — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative/ablative plural masculine; Function: indirect object of detrahes; Translation: “to the gods”; Notes: refers here to judges or authorities in Israelite legal usage.
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates detrahes; Translation: “not”; Notes: legal negator.
  3. detr a hes — Lemma: detraho; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you shall speak ill”; Notes: future indicative expressing binding law.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects two legal commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: equal coordination.
  5. principi — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of maledices; Translation: “to the ruler”; Notes: refers to civil authority.
  6. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies principi; Translation: “of the people”; Notes: possessive genitive.
  7. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies populi; Translation: “your”; Notes: emphasizes communal responsibility.
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates maledices; Translation: “not”; Notes: second legal prohibition.
  9. maledices — Lemma: maledico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of second prohibition; Translation: “you shall curse”; Notes: governs dative of the person cursed.

 

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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