Exodus 5:2

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:2 At ille respondit: Quis est Dominus, ut audiam vocem eius, et dimittam Israel? nescio Dominum, et Israel non dimittam.

But he answered: “Who is the LORD, that I should hear His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M
3 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Quis who NOM.SG.M
5 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
7 ut that CONJ
8 audiam I should hear 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 vocem voice ACC.SG.F
10 eius his GEN.SG
11 et and CONJ
12 dimittam I should let go 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 Israel Israel ACC.SG.M
14 nescio I do not know 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 Dominum LORD ACC.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 Israel Israel ACC.SG.M
18 non not ADV
19 dimittam I will let go 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main clause: At ille respondit — subject ille, verb respondit.
Rhetorical challenge: Quis est Dominus — Pharaoh questions divine authority.
Purpose clause: ut audiam vocem eius — subjunctive audiam indicates rejected obligation.
Coordinated purpose: et dimittam Israel — second subjunctive tied to ut.
Independent assertion: nescio Dominum — Pharaoh denies knowledge of the LORD.
Final refusal: et Israel non dimittam — future dimittam expresses firm resolve.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: adversative; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: marks Pharaoh’s opposing reply.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: he; Notes: refers to Pharaoh.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: answered; Notes: perfect tense moves narrative forward.
  4. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate interrogative; Translation: who; Notes: challenges divine authority.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: is; Notes: forms question with Quis.
  6. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: expresses intended (but refused) obligation; Translation: that; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  8. audiam — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: I should hear; Notes: subjunctive expresses Pharaoh’s unwillingness.
  9. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of audiam; Translation: voice; Notes: refers to divine command.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifying vocem; Translation: his; Notes: refers to the LORD.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: joins second subjunctive; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates purposes.
  12. dimittam — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active subjunctive; Function: subordinate verb tied to ut; Translation: I should let go; Notes: expresses Pharaoh’s defiance.
  13. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: Israel; Notes: refers to the enslaved people.
  14. nescio — Lemma: nescio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active indicative; Function: independent assertion; Translation: I do not know; Notes: expresses deliberate denial of divine authority.
  15. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of nescio; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Pharaoh denies knowledge of YHWH.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links final refusal; Translation: and; Notes: coordination of clauses.
  17. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of dimittam; Translation: Israel; Notes: repeated for emphasis.
  18. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negator; Function: negates dimittam; Translation: not; Notes: expresses firm denial.
  19. dimittam — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: expresses definitive refusal; Translation: I will not let go; Notes: Pharaoh asserts future determination.

 

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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