Leviticus 18:7

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:7 Turpitudinem patris tui turpitudinem matris tuæ non discooperies: mater tua est. non revelabis turpitudinem eius.

The nakedness of your father and the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover; she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
2 patris of-father GEN.SG.M
3 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
4 turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
5 matris of-mother GEN.SG.F
6 tuæ your GEN.SG.F.PRON.POSS
7 non not ADV
8 discooperies you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 mater mother NOM.SG.F
10 tua your NOM.SG.F.PRON.POSS
11 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 non not ADV
13 revelabis you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
15 eius her GEN.SG.PRON.POSS

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non discooperies — legal future expressing prohibition
Compound Direct Object: turpitudinem patris tui + turpitudinem matris tuæ — parallel accusatives defining the forbidden act
Explanatory Clause: mater tua est — grounding rationale
Restated Prohibition: non revelabis turpitudinem eius — emphatic repetition clarifying the referent

Morphology

  1. Turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nakedness; Notes: Euphemism for sexual exposure.
  2. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular, third declension; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: of father; Notes: Specifies paternal relation.
  3. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies patris; Translation: your; Notes: Direct address to the hearer.
  4. turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object (second of the pair); Translation: nakedness; Notes: Repetition heightens emphasis.
  5. matris — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular, third declension; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: of mother; Notes: Specifies maternal relation.
  6. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: modifies matris; Translation: your; Notes: Direct address continues.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute prohibition marker.
  8. discooperies — Lemma: discooperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: main predicate; Translation: you shall uncover; Notes: Legal future with imperative force.
  9. mater — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular, third declension; Function: subject; Translation: mother; Notes: Identifies the person concerned.
  10. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: modifies mater; Translation: your; Notes: Emphasizes filial relationship.
  11. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: States the rationale plainly.
  12. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Reiterates the ban.
  13. revelabis — Lemma: revelo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: reiterated predicate; Translation: you shall uncover; Notes: Synonymous verb reinforces clarity.
  14. turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nakedness; Notes: Refers back to the mother.
  15. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies turpitudinem; Translation: her; Notes: Clarifies the antecedent.

 

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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