Leviticus 18:15

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:15 Turpitudinem nurus tuæ non revelabis, quia uxor filii tui est, nec discooperies ignominiam eius.

The nakedness of your daughter-in-law you shall not uncover, because she is your son’s wife, nor shall you uncover her shame.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
2 nurus of-daughter-in-law GEN.SG.F
3 tuæ your GEN.SG.F.PRON.POSS
4 non not ADV
5 revelabis you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 quia because CONJ
7 uxor wife NOM.SG.F
8 filii of-son GEN.SG.M
9 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 nec nor CONJ
12 discooperies you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 ignominiam shame ACC.SG.F
14 eius her GEN.SG.PRON.POSS

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non revelabis — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Direct Object: turpitudinem nurus tuæ — forbidden sexual exposure defined by marital descent
Causal Clause: quia uxor filii tui est — establishes the legal basis in marital status
Coordinated Prohibition: nec discooperies ignominiam eius — reinforces the ban with synonymous legal language

Morphology

  1. Turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nakedness; Notes: Formal legal euphemism for prohibited sexual exposure.
  2. nurus — Lemma: nurus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular, fourth declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of daughter-in-law; Notes: Identifies relation through the son.
  3. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: modifies nurus; Translation: your; Notes: Direct second-person address.
  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. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: causal connector; Translation: because; Notes: Introduces the legal rationale.
  7. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular, third declension; Function: subject of the causal clause; Translation: wife; Notes: Defines marital status.
  8. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of son; Notes: Specifies lineage.
  9. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies filii; Translation: your; Notes: Maintains direct address.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: States marital identity as fact.
  11. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Joins parallel prohibitions.
  12. discooperies — Lemma: discooperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: you shall uncover; Notes: Strengthens the prohibition with a synonymous verb.
  13. ignominiam — Lemma: ignominia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: shame; Notes: Emphasizes dishonor inherent in the act.
  14. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies ignominiam; Translation: her; Notes: Refers back to the daughter-in-law.

 

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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