Leviticus 19:11

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

11 Non facietis furtum. Non mentiemini, nec decipiet unusquisque proximum suum.

You shall not commit theft. You shall not lie, nor shall each one deceive his neighbor.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 facietis you shall do 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
3 furtum theft ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL NOUN
4 Non not ADV
5 mentiemini you shall lie 2PL.FUT.DEP.IND
6 nec nor CONJ
7 decipiet he shall deceive 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 unusquisque each one NOM.SG.M INDEF.PRON
9 proximum neighbor ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
10 suum his ACC.SG.M POSS.ADJ

Syntax

First Prohibition: Non facietis furtum (negative particle + future indicative expressing legal prohibition)

Second Prohibition: Non mentiemini (negative particle + deponent future indicative)

Coordinated Prohibition: nec decipiet unusquisque proximum suum (negative coordination with distributive subject)

Direct Object: proximum suum (accusative object with reflexive possessive)

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates the following verb; Translation: not; Notes: standard marker of prohibition in legal language.
  2. facietis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future indicative active; Function: expresses a binding prohibition; Translation: you shall do; Notes: future indicative commonly functions as a command in law codes.
  3. furtum — Lemma: furtum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular second declension; Function: direct object of facietis; Translation: theft; Notes: covers acts of stealing or unlawful taking.
  4. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates the following verb; Translation: not; Notes: repetition heightens clarity and force.
  5. mentiemini — Lemma: mentior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: second person plural future indicative deponent; Function: expresses prohibition against false speech; Translation: you shall lie; Notes: deponent form with active meaning.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: links a further prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: stronger than simple coordination.
  7. decipiet — Lemma: decipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: states a distributive prohibition; Translation: he shall deceive; Notes: singular verb agrees with unusquisque.
  8. unusquisque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of decipiet; Translation: each one; Notes: emphasizes individual moral responsibility.
  9. proximum — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: noun used substantively; Form: accusative masculine singular second declension; Function: direct object of decipiet; Translation: neighbor; Notes: denotes a fellow member of the community.
  10. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: modifies proximum; Translation: his; Notes: reflexive possessive referring back to unusquisque.

 

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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