Exodus 5:19

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:19 Videbantque se præpositi filiorum Israel in malo, eo quod diceretur eis: Non minuetur quidquam de lateribus per singulos dies.

And the overseers of the sons of Israel were seeing themselves to be in trouble, because it was being said to them: Nothing shall be diminished from the bricks for each day.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Videbantque and they were seeing 3PL.IMPFT.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 se themselves ACC.SG/PL.REFL.PRON
3 præpositi the overseers NOM.PL.M
4 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M
5 Israel Israel GEN.SG.M
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 malo trouble / adversity ABL.SG.N
8 eo because ABL.SG.N.DEMONSTR.
9 quod that CONJ
10 diceretur it was being said 3SG.IMPFT.PASS.SUBJ
11 eis to them DAT.PL
12 Non not ADV
13 minuetur will be diminished 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
14 quidquam anything ACC.SG.N.INDEF
15 de from PREP+ABL
16 lateribus the bricks ABL.PL.M
17 per through / for PREP+ACC
18 singulos each ACC.PL.M
19 dies days ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main clause: Videbantque se præpositi filiorum Israel in malo — imperfect tense showing continued realization of their dire situation; se is reflexive object with videbant.
Casual clause: eo quod diceretur eis — explains the reason for their distress (“because it was being said to them”).
Quoted decree: Non minuetur quidquam de lateribus — future passive expressing an unbending demand.
Prepositional phrase: per singulos dies — the fixed daily quota requirement.

Morphology

  1. Videbantque — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural imperfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they were seeing; Notes: -que links to preceding narrative.
  2. se — Lemma: se; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative; Function: direct object of videbant; Translation: themselves; Notes: reflexive referring to the overseers.
  3. præpositi — Lemma: præpositus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the overseers; Notes: administrators set over the Israelites.
  4. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies præpositi; Translation: of the sons; Notes: genealogical phrase.
  5. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: completes the genitive phrase; Translation: of Israel; Notes: covenantal designation.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: here metaphorical (“in trouble”).
  7. malo — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: trouble; Notes: expresses harsh circumstances.
  8. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: part of causal construction; Translation: because; Notes: used idiomatically with quod.
  9. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: that; Notes: literal subordinator.
  10. diceretur — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect passive subjunctive; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: it was being said; Notes: subjunctive in causal clause.
  11. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: to the overseers.
  12. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negative; Function: negates minuetur; Translation: not; Notes: emphatic denial.
  13. minuetur — Lemma: minuo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: verb of decree; Translation: will be diminished; Notes: expresses strict policy.
  14. quidquam — Lemma: quisquam; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of minuetur; Translation: anything; Notes: indefinite, extensive scope.
  15. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: from; Notes: idiomatic with quantity.
  16. lateribus — Lemma: later; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: the bricks; Notes: brick quota.
  17. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses distribution; Translation: through / for; Notes: introduces time period.
  18. singulos — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies dies; Translation: each; Notes: distributive.
  19. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of per; Translation: days; Notes: daily requirement.

 

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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