Exodus 5:13

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:13 Præfecti quoque operum instabant, dicentes: Complete opus vestrum quotidie, ut prius facere solebatis quando dabantur vobis paleæ.

And the overseers of the works also pressed them, saying: “Complete your work each day, as before you used to do when straw was being given to you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Præfecti the overseers NOM.PL.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 operum of the works GEN.PL.N
4 instabant were pressing 3PL.IMPFT.ACT.IND
5 dicentes saying PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.PL.M
6 Complete complete 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
7 opus work ACC.SG.N
8 vestrum your ACC.SG.N
9 quotidie each day ADV
10 ut as CONJ
11 prius before ADV
12 facere to do PRES.ACT.INF
13 solebatis you used to 2PL.IMPFT.ACT.IND
14 quando when CONJ
15 dabantur were being given 3PL.IMPFT.PASS.IND
16 vobis to you DAT.PL
17 paleæ straw NOM.PL.F

Syntax

Main clause: Præfecti quoque operum instabant — imperfect indicative showing ongoing pressure from supervisors.
Participial clause: dicentes — introduces the quoted command directed at the Israelites.
Imperative command: Complete opus vestrum quotidie — direct order reinforcing the brick quota.
Comparative expression: ut prius — links present expectations to former standards.
Subordinate temporal clause: quando dabantur vobis paleæ — sets the historical comparison: previous ease when straw was supplied.

Morphology

  1. Præfecti — Lemma: præfectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the overseers; Notes: refers to labor administrators.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: additive; Function: emphasizes inclusion; Translation: also; Notes: postpositive.
  3. operum — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies Præfecti; Translation: of the works; Notes: describes their administrative responsibility.
  4. instabant — Lemma: insto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: were pressing; Notes: continuous action.
  5. dicentes — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: saying; Notes: agrees with Præfecti.
  6. Complete — Lemma: compleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: direct command; Translation: complete; Notes: stresses quota enforcement.
  7. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of Complete; Translation: work; Notes: refers to daily brick production.
  8. vestrum — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies opus; Translation: your; Notes: directed at the laborers.
  9. quotidie — Lemma: quotidie; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: temporal; Function: modifies Complete; Translation: each day; Notes: indicates constant requirement.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: comparative; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: as; Notes: not purpose here.
  11. prius — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: comparative; Function: modifies implied action; Translation: before; Notes: refers to former working condition.
  12. facere — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complements solebatis; Translation: to do; Notes: expresses repeated past action.
  13. solebatis — Lemma: soleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: describes habitual past action; Translation: you used to; Notes: emphasizes previous routine.
  14. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: temporal; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: when; Notes: defines time frame.
  15. dabantur — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect passive indicative; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: were being given; Notes: describes former provision.
  16. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: refers to Israelites.
  17. paleæ — Lemma: palea; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of dabantur; Translation: straw; Notes: essential brick-making material.

 

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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