Leviticus 18:21

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:21 De semine tuo non dabis ut consecretur idolo Moloch, nec pollues nomen Dei tui. Ego Dominus.

From your offspring you shall not give so that it may be consecrated to the idol Moloch, nor shall you profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 semine offspring / seed ABL.SG.N
3 tuo your ABL.SG.N.PRON.POSS
4 non not ADV
5 dabis you-shall-give 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 ut so that CONJ
7 consecretur it-may-be-consecrated 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
8 idolo to-idol DAT.SG.N
9 Moloch Moloch INDECL.N
10 nec nor CONJ
11 pollues you-shall-defile 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 nomen name ACC.SG.N
13 Dei of-God GEN.SG.M
14 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
15 Ego I NOM.SG.PERS
16 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non dabis — legal future expressing absolute prohibition
Source Phrase: de semine tuo — specifies one’s own offspring as the forbidden source
Purpose Clause: ut consecretur idolo Moloch — subjunctive clause expressing intended dedication to a false deity
Coordinated Prohibition: nec pollues nomen Dei tui — parallel ban grounding the act as profanation
Divine Self-Assertion: Ego Dominus — covenantal authority formula

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Indicates origin or derivation.
  2. semine — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular, third declension; Function: object of de; Translation: offspring, seed; Notes: Refers to one’s descendants.
  3. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: modifies semine; Translation: your; Notes: Personalizes the prohibition.
  4. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Marks absolute prohibition.
  5. dabis — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: you shall give; Notes: Legal future with imperative force.
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: purpose; Translation: so that; Notes: Introduces intended result.
  7. consecretur — Lemma: consecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive passive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: may be consecrated; Notes: Ironically applies sacred language to idolatry.
  8. idolo — Lemma: idolum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative neuter singular, second declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the idol; Notes: Marks false object of devotion.
  9. Moloch — Lemma: Moloch; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition to idolo; Translation: Moloch; Notes: Canaanite deity associated with child sacrifice.
  10. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative coordination; Translation: nor; Notes: Links two prohibitions.
  11. pollues — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: coordinated predicate; Translation: you shall defile; Notes: Cultic and moral pollution.
  12. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: name; Notes: Represents divine identity and authority.
  13. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, second declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of God; Notes: Covenant God of Israel.
  14. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: your; Notes: Emphasizes personal covenant relationship.
  15. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: I; Notes: Solemn self-identification.
  16. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular, second declension; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: LORD; Notes: Divine covenant name, asserting authority.

 

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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