Leviticus 19:13

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 19:13 Non facies calumniam proximo tuo, nec vi opprimes eum. Non morabitur opus mercenarii tui apud te usque mane.

You shall not commit slander against your neighbor, nor shall you oppress him by force. The work of your hired laborer shall not remain with you until morning.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 facies you shall do 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 calumniam slander ACC.SG.F 1ST DECL NOUN
4 proximo to a neighbor DAT.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
5 tuo your DAT.SG.M POSS.ADJ
6 nec nor CONJ
7 vi by force ABL.SG.F 3RD DECL NOUN
8 opprimes you shall oppress 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 eum him ACC.SG.M PERS.PRON
10 Non not ADV
11 morabitur shall remain 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
12 opus work NOM.SG.N 3RD DECL NOUN
13 mercenarii of a hired laborer GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
14 tui your GEN.SG.M POSS.ADJ
15 apud with PREP+ACC
16 te you ACC.SG PERS.PRON
17 usque until ADV
18 mane morning ACC.SG.N INDECL

Syntax

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

Dative of Disadvantage: proximo tuo (person harmed by the action)

Coordinated Prohibition: nec … opprimes (negative coordination with future indicative)

Ablative of Means: vi (instrument by which oppression occurs)

Direct Object: eum (the neighbor as victim)

Second Prohibition: Non morabitur (negative future deponent stating a ban)

Subject: opus mercenarii tui (genitive of possession defining whose wages/work)

Locative Phrase: apud te (location of improper retention)

Temporal Limit: usque mane (endpoint of time)

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates the following verb; Translation: not; Notes: standard prohibitive marker in legal language.
  2. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: expresses a binding prohibition; Translation: you shall do; Notes: future indicative commonly carries command force in law codes.
  3. calumniam — Lemma: calumnia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular first declension; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: slander; Notes: denotes false accusation or malicious misrepresentation.
  4. proximo — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: noun used substantively; Form: dative masculine singular second declension; Function: dative of disadvantage; Translation: to a neighbor; Notes: identifies the person harmed by slander.
  5. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies proximo; Translation: your; Notes: stresses relational responsibility.
  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. vi — Lemma: vis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative feminine singular third declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: by force; Notes: indicates coercive power or violence.
  8. opprimes — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future indicative active; Function: states a prohibition of oppression; Translation: you shall oppress; Notes: future indicative again functions prescriptively.
  9. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object of opprimes; Translation: him; Notes: refers back to the neighbor.
  10. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates the following verb; Translation: not; Notes: repetition clarifies a new prohibition.
  11. morabitur — Lemma: moror; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person singular future indicative deponent; Function: expresses a prohibition of delay; Translation: shall remain; Notes: deponent form with active meaning.
  12. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter singular third declension; Function: subject of morabitur; Translation: work; Notes: here refers metonymically to wages due for labor.
  13. mercenarii — Lemma: mercenarius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular second declension; Function: genitive of possession modifying opus; Translation: of a hired laborer; Notes: identifies the vulnerable worker.
  14. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: modifies mercenarii; Translation: your; Notes: emphasizes employer responsibility.
  15. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: indicates presence or custody; Translation: with; Notes: denotes retention in one’s control.
  16. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of apud; Translation: you; Notes: refers to the employer addressed.
  17. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: extent; Function: marks a temporal limit; Translation: until; Notes: emphasizes prohibition of delay.
  18. mane — Lemma: mane; Part of Speech: indeclinable noun; Form: accusative singular; Function: endpoint of time; Translation: morning; Notes: sets the latest permissible time.

 

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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