Exodus 3:3

Posted on February 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

3 Dixit ergo Moyses: Vadam, et videbo visionem hanc magnam, quare non comburatur rubus.

And Moyses said: “I will go, and I will see this great vision, why the bush is not being consumed.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M PROPER
4 Vadam I will go 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 et and CONJ
6 videbo I will see 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 visionem vision ACC.SG.F
8 hanc this ACC.SG.F DEM
9 magnam great ACC.SG.F
10 quare why ADV
11 non not ADV
12 comburatur is being consumed 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
13 rubus the bush NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause:
Dixit ergo Moyses — “And Moses said therefore”
• Moyses = subject
• Dixit = perfect, introducing Moses’ decision
• ergo = draws inference from what Moses observed

Quoted Speech (Volitional Future):
Vadam, et videbo visionem hanc magnam — “I will go, and I will see this great vision”
• Vadam = first-person future, Moses’ intent
• videbo = future of deliberate investigation
• visionem hanc magnam = object phrase (vision + demonstrative + adjective)

Interrogative Clause of Reason:
quare non comburatur rubus — “why the bush is not being consumed”
• rubus = subject
• comburatur = present passive subjunctive (deliberative / indirect question)
• quare = introduces an indirect question (“for what reason”)

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Perfect introduces Moses’ decisive response to the theophany.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: draws conclusion; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Signals that Moses’ action is based on what he saw.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dixit; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Central human figure of the narrative.
  4. Vadam — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular future active indicative; Function: expresses intent; Translation: “I will go”; Notes: Deliberate future marking Moses’ decision to act.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links coordinated future verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Balances two sequential intentions.
  6. videbo — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular future active indicative; Function: second volitional verb; Translation: “I will see”; Notes: Future expresses investigative purpose.
  7. visionem — Lemma: visio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of videbo; Translation: “vision”; Notes: Refers to the miraculous appearance of the burning bush.
  8. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies visionem; Translation: “this”; Notes: Deictic, pointing to the currently visible phenomenon.
  9. magnam — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies visionem; Translation: “great”; Notes: Emphasizes the extraordinary nature of the sight.
  10. quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “why”; Notes: Literally “for what reason.”
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates comburatur; Translation: “not”; Notes: Marks the paradox of the miracle.
  12. comburatur — Lemma: comburo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present passive subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “is being consumed”; Notes: Subjunctive required after quare in indirect question construction.
  13. rubus — Lemma: rubus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of comburatur; Translation: “the bush”; Notes: Repetition ties this verse directly to previous miracle description.

 

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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