Leviticus 18:9

Posted on April 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 18:9 Turpitudinem sororis tuæ ex patre, sive ex matre, quæ domi vel foris genita est, non revelabis.

The nakedness of your sister from your father, or from your mother, whether born at home or born outside, you shall not uncover.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Turpitudinem nakedness ACC.SG.F
2 sororis of-sister GEN.SG.F
3 tuæ your GEN.SG.F.PRON.POSS
4 ex from PREP+ABL
5 patre father ABL.SG.M
6 sive or CONJ
7 ex from PREP+ABL
8 matre mother ABL.SG.F
9 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL
10 domi at-home ADV
11 vel or CONJ
12 foris outside ADV
13 genita born NOM.SG.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 non not ADV
16 revelabis you-shall-uncover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Primary Prohibition: non revelabis — legal future expressing prohibition
Direct Object: turpitudinem sororis tuæ — forbidden sexual exposure
Lineage Specification: ex patre sive ex matre — paternal or maternal relation
Relative Clause: quæ domi vel foris genita est — birth circumstance does not alter the prohibition

Morphology

  1. Turpitudinem — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular, third declension; Function: direct object; Translation: nakedness; Notes: Legal euphemism for sexual exposure.
  2. sororis — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular, third declension; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of sister; Notes: Specifies sibling relationship.
  3. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: modifies sororis; Translation: your; Notes: Direct address to the hearer.
  4. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Introduces parental origin.
  5. patre — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular, third declension; Function: object of ex; Translation: father; Notes: Paternal line.
  6. sive — Lemma: sive; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: alternative; Translation: or; Notes: Presents equivalent options.
  7. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: Parallel construction.
  8. matre — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular, third declension; Function: object of ex; Translation: mother; Notes: Maternal line.
  9. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the sister.
  10. domi — Lemma: domi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: place; Translation: at home; Notes: Within the household.
  11. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: alternative; Translation: or; Notes: Pairs with domi.
  12. foris — Lemma: foris; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: place; Translation: outside; Notes: Outside the household.
  13. genita — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative feminine singular perfect passive participle; Function: predicate with est; Translation: born; Notes: Birth circumstance is irrelevant to the law.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: Completes the relative clause.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Absolute prohibition marker.
  16. 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.

 

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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