Exodus 22:8

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 22:8 si latet fur, dominus domus applicabitur ad deos, et iurabit quod non extenderit manum in rem proximi sui,

if the thief is hidden, the master of the house shall be brought before the gods, and he shall swear that he has not stretched out his hand against the property of his neighbor.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 si if CONJ
2 latet is hidden 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND.2ND CONJ
3 fur thief NOUN.NOM.SG.M.3RD DECL
4 dominus master NOUN.NOM.SG.M.2ND DECL
5 domus of the house NOUN.GEN.SG.F.4TH DECL (irregular)
6 applicabitur shall be brought 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND.1ST CONJ
7 ad to/before PREP+ACC
8 deos the gods NOUN.ACC.PL.M.2ND DECL
9 et and CONJ
10 iurabit shall swear 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
11 quod that CONJ
12 non not ADV.INDECL
13 extenderit has stretched out 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
14 manum hand NOUN.ACC.SG.F.4TH DECL (manus)
15 in against PREP+ACC
16 rem property NOUN.ACC.SG.F.5TH DECL
17 proximi of the neighbor NOUN.GEN.SG.M.2ND DECL
18 sui his PRON.GEN.SG.M.REFL

Syntax

Protasis: si latet fur —
• subject = fur,
• verb = latet,
• meaning: the thief cannot be found.

Main Clause 1: dominus domus applicabitur ad deos —
• subject = dominus,
• genitive modifier = domus,
• passive verb = applicabitur,
• destination = ad deos (“before the gods”).

Main Clause 2: et iurabit quod non extenderit manum in rem proximi sui —
• verb = iurabit,
• content clause = quod … extenderit,
• negative = non,
• direct object = manum,
• prepositional + object = in rem proximi sui.

Morphology

  1. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conditional protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Legal conditional marker.
  2. latet — Lemma: lateo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of protasis; Translation: “is hidden”; Notes: Used for things not discoverable.
  3. fur — Lemma: fur; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “thief”; Notes: The unknown criminal.
  4. dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of passive verb; Translation: “master”; Notes: Owner of the house.
  5. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the house”; Notes: Irregular 4th/2nd declension hybrid.
  6. applicabitur — Lemma: applico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall be brought”; Notes: Legal language for being brought before authority.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to / before”; Notes: In legal Hebrew context: “before the judges.”
  8. deos — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “the gods”; Notes: Hebrew Elohim used for judges.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connector.
  10. iurabit — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall swear”; Notes: Oath procedure.
  11. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Gives oath content.
  12. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses denial.
  13. extenderit — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of subordinate content clause; Translation: “has stretched out”; Notes: Future perfect required in oath/legal declarations.
  14. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of extenderit; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Idiom for “to commit wrongful act.”
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: against; Translation: “against”; Notes: Marks wrongful harm toward property.
  16. rem — Lemma: res; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “property”; Notes: Broad legal term for goods.
  17. proximi — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: noun (substantivized adjective); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessor; Translation: “of the neighbor”; Notes: Legal counterpart.
  18. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: refers back to dominus domus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive possessive.

 

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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