Exodus 2:18

Posted on February 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 2:18 Quæ cum revertissent ad Raguel patrem suum, dixit ad eas: Cur velocius venistis solito?

When they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them: “Why have you come more quickly than usual?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quæ who NOM.PL.F REL
2 cum when CONJ
3 revertissent had returned 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Raguel Reuel ACC.SG.M PROPER
6 patrem father ACC.SG.M
7 suum their (own) ACC.SG.M REFLEX
8 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 eas them ACC.PL.F PRON
11 Cur why ADV.INTERROG
12 velocius more quickly COMP.ADV
13 venistis you came 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
14 solito than usual ABL.SG.N

Syntax

Temporal Clause:
Quæ cum revertissent ad Raguel patrem suum — “When they had returned to Raguel their father”
• Quæ = the daughters.
• cum + pluperfect subjunctive revertissent → circumstantial temporal clause.
• patrem suum = reflexive, identifying their own father.

Main Clause:
dixit ad eas — “he said to them.”
• Subject: implied “he” = Raguel.

Direct Question:
Cur velocius venistis solito?
• velocius = comparative adverb.
• solito = ablative of comparison → “than usual.”

Morphology

  1. Quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of revertissent; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to the seven daughters returning home.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Standard for circumstantial clauses with the subjunctive.
  3. revertissent — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 3rd plural pluperfect active (deponent) subjunctive; Function: verb in temporal clause; Translation: “had returned”; Notes: Deponent in form but active in meaning.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Direction toward home.
  5. Raguel — Lemma: Raguel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Raguel”; Notes: Name of the Midianite priest, father of the daughters.
  6. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: apposition to Raguel; Translation: “father”; Notes: Clarifies relationship.
  7. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies patrem; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflexive: points back to the daughters as the possessors.
  8. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Directs speech to the daughters.
  10. eas — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “them”; Notes: Again refers to the daughters.
  11. Cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces direct question; Translation: “why”; Notes: Indicates inquiry into unexpected speed.
  12. velocius — Lemma: velociter; Part of Speech: adverb (comparative); Form: comparative adverb; Function: modifies venistis; Translation: “more quickly”; Notes: Indicates unusual haste.
  13. venistis — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the question; Translation: “you came”; Notes: Perfect indicates completed arrival.
  14. solito — Lemma: solitus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of comparison; Translation: “than usual”; Notes: Classical idiom: comparative adverb + ablative.

 

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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