Exodus 2:19

Posted on February 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 2:19 Responderunt: Vir Ægyptius liberavit nos de manu pastorum: insuper et hausit aquam nobiscum, potumque dedit ovibus.

They answered: “An Egyptian man delivered us from the hand of the shepherds; and what is more, he drew water with us and gave drink to the sheep.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Responderunt they answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Vir man NOM.SG.M
3 Ægyptius Egyptian NOM.SG.M
4 liberavit delivered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 nos us ACC.PL PRON
6 de from PREP+ABL
7 manu the hand ABL.SG.F
8 pastorum of the shepherds GEN.PL.M
9 insuper moreover ADV
10 et and CONJ
11 hausit drew (water) 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 aquam water ACC.SG.F
13 nobiscum with us ABL.PL PRON + CUM
14 potumque and drink ACC.SG.M + -QUE
15 dedit gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 ovibus to the sheep DAT.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause:
Responderunt — “They answered,” referring to the daughters of Raguel.

Subject + Verb:
Vir Ægyptius liberavit nos — “An Egyptian man delivered us.”
• Vir Ægyptius: subject.
• nos: direct object.
• de manu pastorum: ablative expression of liberation from hostile control.

Adverbial Addition:
insuper et hausit aquam nobiscum — “and moreover, he drew water with us.”
• nobiscum = comitative “with us.”
• Emphasizes Moses’ cooperation and humility.

Final Coordinated Action:
potumque dedit ovibus — “and he gave drink to the sheep.”
• potum = accusative supine used as noun meaning “drink.”
• ovibus = dative of recipient.

Morphology

  1. Responderunt — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “they answered”; Notes: Introduces the daughters’ explanation to Raguel.
  2. Vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “man”; Notes: Identifies Moses by appearance before his identity is known.
  3. Ægyptius — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies vir; Translation: “Egyptian”; Notes: The daughters misidentify Moses by his clothing.
  4. liberavit — Lemma: libero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “delivered”; Notes: Marks Moses as a rescuer.
  5. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object; Translation: “us”; Notes: Refers to Raguel’s daughters.
  6. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Standard for deliverance formulas.
  7. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Metaphorical for power or control.
  8. pastorum — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies manu; Translation: “of the shepherds”; Notes: Identifies antagonists.
  9. insuper — Lemma: insuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “moreover”; Notes: Highlights Moses’ generosity.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates additional helpful action.
  11. hausit — Lemma: haurio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “drew”; Notes: Means “to draw water,” significant in pastoral scenes.
  12. aquam — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “water”; Notes: Object of hausit.
  13. nobiscum — Lemma: nos + cum; Part of Speech: pronoun + enclitic; Form: ablative plural; Function: comitative; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Indicates shared labor.
  14. potumque — Lemma: potus + -que; Part of Speech: noun (supine functioning as accusative noun) + enclitic; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of dedit; Translation: “and drink”; Notes: Accusative of the thing given.
  15. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “gave”; Notes: Concludes the list of Moses’ actions.
  16. ovibus — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the sheep”; Notes: Dative of recipient of the drink.

 

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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