Leviticus 18:14

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:14 Turpitudinem patrui tui non revelabis, nec accedes ad uxorem eius, quæ tibi affinitate coniungitur.

The nakedness of your uncle you shall not uncover, nor shall you approach his wife, who is joined to you by affinity.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
2 patrui of-uncle GEN.SG.M
3 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
4 non not ADV
5 revelabis you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 nec nor CONJ
7 accedes you-shall-approach 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
10 eius his GEN.SG.PRON.POSS
11 quæ who NOM.SG.F.REL
12 tibi to-you DAT.SG.PRON.PERS
13 affinitate by-affinity ABL.SG.F
14 coniungitur is-joined 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non revelabis — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Coordinated Prohibition: nec accedes — parallel legal future reinforcing the ban
Direct Object: turpitudinem patrui tui — forbidden exposure defined by paternal kinship
Prepositional Object: ad uxorem eius — prohibited approach to the uncle’s wife
Relative Clause: quæ tibi affinitate coniungitur — explains the relationship as one of affinity

Morphology

  1. Turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nakedness; Notes: Legal euphemism for prohibited sexual exposure.
  2. patrui — Lemma: patruus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of uncle; Notes: Refers to the father’s brother.
  3. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies patrui; Translation: your; Notes: Direct address to the hearer.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Marks absolute legal prohibition.
  5. revelabis — Lemma: revelo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: you shall uncover; Notes: Legal future with imperative force.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Joins parallel prohibitions.
  7. accedes — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: you shall approach; Notes: Extends the prohibition to physical approach.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing accusative; Function: direction toward; Translation: to; Notes: Introduces the prohibited object.
  9. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: wife; Notes: Specifies the marital relation.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies uxorem; Translation: his; Notes: Refers back to the uncle.
  11. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: Refers to the wife.
  12. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: Indicates the person related by affinity.
  13. affinitate — Lemma: affinitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular, third declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: by affinity; Notes: Legal term for relationship by marriage.
  14. coniungitur — Lemma: coniungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative passive; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: is joined; Notes: Expresses marital linkage creating affinity.

 

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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