Exodus 4:13

Posted on February 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 4:13 At ille: Obsecro, inquit, Domine, mitte quem missurus es.

But he said: “I beg, Lord, send whom you will send.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.PRON
3 Obsecro I beg 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 inquit says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
6 mitte send 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
7 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL
8 missurus about to send NOM.SG.M.FUT.ACT.PTCP
9 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Contrastive Introduction:
At ille — “But he”
• Introduces Moses’ objection in contrast to God’s prior assurances.

Direct Speech:
Obsecro, inquit, Domine — “I beg, he says, Lord”
• Obsecro = plea from Moses.
• Domine = vocative, direct address to God.

Main Imperative Clause:
mitte quem missurus es — “send whom you will send.”
• mitte = Moses asks God to send someone else.
• quem missurus es = relative clause with future participle.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: adversative; Function: contrasts Moses’ reply with God’s command; Translation: “but”; Notes: Stronger contrast than sed.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject referring to Moses; Translation: “he”; Notes: Deictic force highlighting Moses in contrast.
  3. Obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular present active indicative; Function: expresses plea; Translation: “I beg”; Notes: Common verb of supplication.
  4. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: introduces direct quotation; Translation: “he says”; Notes: Historic present formula for speech.
  5. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun/title; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address to God; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Vocative signals direct plea.
  6. mitte — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active imperative; Function: request/command directed toward God; Translation: “send”; Notes: Imperative used in pleading tone.
  7. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of implied sending; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Introduces relative clause specifying the one to be sent.
  8. missurus — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: future active participle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate with es; Translation: “about to send”; Notes: Indicates intended future action.
  9. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary with future participle; Translation: “you are”; Notes: Forms periphrastic future.

 

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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