Leviticus 19:12

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 19:12 Non periurabis in nomine meo, nec pollues nomen Dei tui. ego Dominus.

You shall not swear falsely by my name, nor shall you profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 periurabis you shall swear falsely 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 in by / in PREP+ABL
4 nomine name ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL NOUN
5 meo my ABL.SG.N POSS.ADJ
6 nec nor CONJ
7 pollues you shall profane 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 nomen name ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL NOUN
9 Dei of God GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
10 tui your GEN.SG.M POSS.ADJ
11 ego I NOM.SG PERS.PRON
12 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN

Syntax

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

Instrumental Phrase: in nomine meo (preposition with ablative indicating the sworn name)

Coordinated Prohibition: nec pollues (negative coordination with future indicative)

Direct Object: nomen Dei tui (accusative object with genitive of possession)

Authority Formula: ego Dominus (self-identification grounding the commands)

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 discourse.
  2. periurabis — Lemma: periuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: expresses a binding prohibition against false oaths; Translation: you shall swear falsely; Notes: future indicative functions prescriptively in covenant law.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: marks the invoked authority or instrument; Translation: by / in; Notes: commonly used for oaths taken “by” a name.
  4. nomine — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: name; Notes: denotes reputation and authority, not merely a label.
  5. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: modifies nomine; Translation: my; Notes: emphasizes divine ownership of the name invoked.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinator; Function: links a second prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: cumulative negation strengthening the command.
  7. pollues — Lemma: polluo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: states a prohibition concerning sacred misuse; Translation: you shall profane; Notes: refers to rendering something ritually or morally defiled.
  8. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular third declension; Function: direct object of pollues; Translation: name; Notes: the object whose sanctity must be preserved.
  9. Dei — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular second declension; Function: genitive of possession modifying nomen; Translation: of God; Notes: identifies the divine owner of the name.
  10. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: further modifies Dei; Translation: your; Notes: stresses covenant relationship and personal accountability.
  11. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of identification; Translation: I; Notes: emphatic divine self-reference.
  12. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: apposition to ego; Translation: LORD; Notes: rendered in all caps when referring to YHWH.

 

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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