Study Guide: Group 19

Here is the latest Study Guide! I have not provided English translations, since those are easy enough to find by consulting versions of the Bible in English. Instead, I have tried to call attention to the various grammatical features of the verses, along with interesting vocabulary items, the importance of a specific Biblical context, etc.

You will find more Study Guides at the Vulgate Verses wiki.

These verses contain third declension adjectives:

212. This verse is from the apocryphal additions to the Book of Daniel called the "Prayer of Azariah." The verb is implied here, not expressed: Omnia iudicia tua (sunt) vera.

213. Be careful with distinguishing between the subject of this sentence, omnia and the predicate possibilia sunt. Even though the words omnia and possibilia are next to each other, they do not form a phrase!

214. Again, be careful identifying the subject, omnia membra corporis and the predicate unum corpus sunt.

215. This is a parallel statement, with the word omnia implied in the second part: Mea omnia tua sunt et tua (omnia) mea sunt.

216. Be careful with the Latin word vanitas. This is the origin of the English word "vanity," but the Latin word has the more general meaning of "emptiness, meaninglessness."


217. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Tobit. In the second part of the phrase, be careful to distinguish between the subject, omnia iudicia tua and the predicate, iusta sunt.

218. The word et is being used adverbially, meaning "too, likewise." Note also the use of the postpositive particle autem, coming in second position in its clause. The verbs are implied, but not expressed: sicut mulier (est) de viro, ita et vir (est) per mulierem; omnia autem (sunt) ex Deo.


219. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Tobit. Notice how there are two parallel statements here, each with a prepositional phrase: in aeternum and in omnia saecula.

220. Be careful to distinguish between the subject, pietas, and the predicate, utilis est. The prepositional phrase, ad omnia, modifies the adjective utilis.

221. Notice how the noun phrase fabricator...omnium wraps around the verb.

222. Notice that the verb is implied, but not expressed in this parallel construction: unus (est) Deus et (unus est) Pater omnium.


223. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Wisdom. Notice that the verb is implied but not expressed: Omnium artifex (est) sapientia.

224. The Greek text reads φιλαργυρία, "love-of-silver," hence the English translation "love of money." The Latin Vulgate, however, says simply cupiditas, without specifying that it is the desire for money.

225. The verb is implied but not expressed: omnia et in omnibus (est) Christus, with Christ as the subject of the verb.

Vulgate Verse: Beati pauperes

I've posted a commentary about a Vulgate verse today over at my ReligiousReading.com blog, where you will find a discussion of the First Beatitude as found in the gospel of Luke:

Luke 6: Beati pauperes, quia vestrum est regnum Dei.

Here is an image of the "Blessing Christ" from a medieval manuscript, c. 1200.

Vulgate Verse: quid est veritas?

I've posted a commentary about a Vulgate verse today over at my ReligiousReading.com blog, where you will find a discussion of this famous phrase spoken by Pilate, which is also a famous Latin anagram:

John 18: Quid est veritas?

Here is a picture of Jesus before Pilate, by Duccio di Buoninsegna:

Study Guide: Group 18

Here is the latest Study Guide! I have not provided English translations, since those are easy enough to find by consulting versions of the Bible in English. Instead, I have tried to call attention to the various grammatical features of the verses, along with interesting vocabulary items, the importance of a specific Biblical context, etc.

You will find more Study Guides at the Vulgate Verses wiki.

These verses contain third declension adjectives:

202. The verb is implied, but not expressed: Beati (sunt) mites.

203. These verses are referred to as the "Beatitudes" in English, from the Latin beati. For more information, see this wikipedia article.

204. The adjective omnes agrees with the implied subject of the verb: omnes (vos) estis.

205. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Sirach. The verb is implied but not expressed: Omnes homines (sunt) terra et cinis.

206. This is a famous statement made by the philosopher Epimenides, and provides the basis for the so-called "Epimenides paradox." You can read more at wikipedia.

207. The subject, sapientes, comes at the end of the sentence, after the predicate, non sunt longaevi. This kind of word order is typical for Latin, but is sometimes difficult for English-speakers to get used to.

208. The etymology of the word peregrinus is someone who crosses over or through, per, the field, ager, someone from beyond the land. The Latin peregrinus ultimately yields the English word "pilgrim," as well as the more Latinate word "peregrination."

209. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Tobit. The verb is implied but not expressed: Omnes viae tuae (sunt) misericordia et veritas et iudicium.

210. The ablative animo plays a descriptive role; we might say in English "at heart" or "in mind." Compare Verse #201. The verb is implied but not expressed: Vir duplex animo (est) inconstans in omnibus viis suis.

211. The noun debitor takes complementary datives: "I am indebted (to)..."

Study Group: Guide 17

Here is the latest Study Guide! I have not provided English translations, since those are easy enough to find by consulting versions of the Bible in English. Instead, I have tried to call attention to the various grammatical features of the verses, along with interesting vocabulary items, the importance of a specific Biblical context, etc.

You will find more Study Guides at the Vulgate Verses wiki.

These verses contain third declension adjectives:

189. The verb is implied but not expressed: Dulce (est) lumen.

190. The subject is onus meum and the predicate is the adjective leve.

191. The subject is iugum meum and the predicate is the adjective suave. We use the word "suave" in English, and it is derived from Latin, but the Latin has a different meaning: "sweet."

192. The verb is implied but not expressed: Cor regum (est) inscrutabile.

193. Be careful not to confuse the noun iugum with the adjective used here, iugis, with the neuter form, iuge.

194. The word salutare is an adjective, meaning "helpful, saving," being used here substantively, as a noun: "salvation."

195. The verb is implied but not expressed: Dominus (est) lux mea et salutare meum. See the note on the preceding verse for salutare.

196. This verse is from the apocryphal addition to the Book of Daniel of called the "Prayer of Azariah." The verb is implied by not expressed: Laudabile et gloriosum (est) nomen tuum in saecula.

197. Notice how the parallel comparison is expressed: Eloquium tuum (est) dulce, sicut fragmen mali punici (est dulce).

198. Notice how the parallel comparison is expressed: Apud homines impossibile est, sed non (impossibile est) apud Deum.

199. You can understand this as two parallel parts, with the predicate implied in the first part and expressed in the second: Omne datum optimum (desursum est) et omne donum perfectum desursum est.

200. The verb is expressed in the first part, and implied in the second: Omni negotio tempus est et oportunitas (est).

201. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Sirach. The exclamation vae takes the dative case, duplici. The ablative corde plays a descriptive role; we might say in English "at heart" or "in mind."

Vulgate Verse: Ex Aegypto

I've posted a commentary about a Vulgate verse today over at my ReligiousReading.com blog, where you will find a discussion of this verse and its role in the medieval "Holiday of Donkeys":

Matthew 2: Ex Aegypto vocavi filium meum

Here is a picture of the flight into Egypt, by the great painter Giotto:

Study Group: Guide 16

Here is the latest Study Guide! I have not provided English translations, since those are easy enough to find by consulting versions of the Bible in English. Instead, I have tried to call attention to the various grammatical features of the verses, along with interesting vocabulary items, the importance of a specific Biblical context, etc.

You will find more Study Guides at the Vulgate Verses wiki.

These verses contain third declension adjectives:

179. The verb is implied, not expressed: Vox tua (est) dulcis.

180. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Wisdom. The word order you see here, noun-predicate-verb, is typical for Latin, but difficult for English-speakers to get used to.

181. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Sirach. The verb is implied, not expressed: Amicus fidelis (est) medicamentum vitae.

182. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Sirach. Notice that fidelis is masculine (agreeing with amicus) while fortis is feminine (agreeing with protectio).

183. The verb is implied but not expressed: Magnus (est) Dominus et laudabilis nimis (est Dominus.

184. The primus homo is Adam, while Jesus is the secundus homo. Compare a similar parallelism in I Cor. 15:22: sicut in Adam omnes moriuntur ita et in Christo omnes vivificabuntur.

185. You can read a note about the sanctus sanctus sanctus in the ReligiousReading.com blog.

186. You can see that pius is a second declension masculine adjective, while clemens is a third declension masculine adjective. They both agree with Dominus Deus, a second declension masculine noun.

187. You can see that benigna is a first declension feminine adjective, while patiens is a third declension femine adjective. They both agree with caritas, a third declension feminine noun.

188. Notice the parallel construction: Misericors est Dominus et miserator (est Dominus).

Vulgate Verse: ecce homo

I've posted a commentary about a Vulgate verse today over at my ReligiousReading.com blog, where you will find a discussion of this famous Latin Bible phrase:

John 19: Ecce homo

Here is an "Ecce homo" painting by Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1480):

Study Group: Guide 15

Hello, everybody - and Happy New Year! Here is the latest Study Guide! I have not provided English translations, since those are easy enough to find by consulting versions of the Bible in English. Instead, I have tried to call attention to the various grammatical features of the verses, along with interesting vocabulary items, the importance of a specific Biblical context, etc.

You will find more Study Guides at the Vulgate Verses wiki.

These verses contain third declension adjects:

169. The verb is implied, but not expressed: Fidelis (est) Deus.

170. The ablative corde has a descriptive function here; we might say in English "in mind" or "at heart."

171. The noun panis could be nominative singular or genitive singular; from context in this sentence, it needs to be nominative singular, serving as the subject of the sentence.

172. Notice that the verb is supplied in the first part of the parallel construction, but it is only implied in the second part: dura (est) sicut inferus aemulatio. Notice also that the first part of the structure uses ut to express the comparison; the second part uses the word sicut instead.

173. You can find these same words in Matthew 26.

174. This statement is an implied comparison: Omnis caro (est sicut) faenum.

175. The Latin word creatura means a "creature" or any "creation" (the Greek word used here is κτίσμα).

176. This is the very first verse of the apocryphal book of Sirach.

177. This verse is from the apocryphal book of Sirach. The word quasi introduces a comparison omnis iniquitas is like, quasi, a romphea bis acuta.

178. The word autem is a postpositive particle, which means it cannot come first in the sentence, but comes in second position, here inserted in the noun phrase omnis...homo. The overall structure is parallel: Deus // omnis homo and verax // mendax.