Exodus 5:12

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:12 Dispersusque est populus per omnem Terram Ægypti ad colligendas paleas.

And the people were scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dispersusque and was scattered NOM.SG.M PERF.PASS.PART + -QUE
2 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 populus the people NOM.SG.M
4 per through PREP+ACC
5 omnem all ACC.SG.F
6 Terram land ACC.SG.F
7 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 colligendas for gathering GERUNDIVE.ACC.PL.F
10 paleas straw ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Passive construction: Dispersusque est populus — perfect passive periphrastic indicating that the people became scattered.
Prepositional phrase: per omnem Terram Ægypti — expresses extent (“through all the land of Egypt”).
Purpose phrase: ad colligendas paleas — gerundive expressing purpose (“to gather straw”).
Overall structure: A passive narrative statement, followed by extent, then purpose.

Morphology

  1. Dispersusque — Lemma: dispergo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle with enclitic -que; Function: part of passive verb phrase; Translation: and was scattered; Notes: -que links to preceding narrative.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary in perfect passive; Translation: was; Notes: forms periphrastic passive with participle.
  3. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the people; Notes: refers to the Israelites.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion through; Translation: through; Notes: standard for spatial extent.
  5. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies Terram; Translation: all; Notes: intensifies totality.
  6. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: land; Notes: in apposition with Ægypti.
  7. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive modifier; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: Clementine spelling with Æ preserved.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates purpose; Translation: to; Notes: commonly used with gerundives.
  9. colligendas — Lemma: colligo; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: expresses purpose modifying paleas; Translation: for gathering; Notes: shows necessity/obligation.
  10. paleas — Lemma: palea; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of gerundive phrase; Translation: straw; Notes: essential for brick-making.

 

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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