Exodus 5:21

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:21 et dixerunt ad eos: Videat Dominus et iudicet, quoniam fœtere fecistis odorem nostrum coram Pharaone et servis eius, et præbuistis ei gladium, ut occideret nos.

and they said to them: “May the LORD see and judge, for you have made our smell stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword, so that he might kill us.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 eos them ACC.PL.M
5 Videat may see 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
6 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 iudicet may judge 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 quoniam for / because CONJ
10 fœtere to stink PRES.ACT.INF
11 fecistis you have made 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
12 odorem smell ACC.SG.M
13 nostrum our ACC.SG.M
14 coram before PREP+ABL
15 Pharaone Pharaoh ABL.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 servis his servants ABL.PL.M
18 eius his GEN.SG.M
19 et and CONJ
20 præbuistis you have given / provided 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
21 ei to him DAT.SG.M
22 gladium a sword ACC.SG.M
23 ut so that CONJ
24 occideret he might kill 3SG.IMPFT.ACT.SUBJ
25 nos us ACC.PL

Syntax

Main clause: et dixerunt ad eos — perfect tense introducing a new speech act directed toward Moses and Aaron.
Imprecatory wish: Videat Dominus et iudicet — two present subjunctives expressing appeal to the LORD (YHWH) to judge the situation.
Causal clause: quoniam fœtere fecistis odorem nostrum — explains the grievance (“you made our smell stink”).
Prepositional phrase: coram Pharaone et servis eius — indicates the hostile audience before whom their reputation was ruined.
Coordinated accusation: et præbuistis ei gladium — metaphor meaning “you empowered him.”
Final clause: ut occideret nos — imperfect subjunctive expressing intended result (“so that he might kill us”).

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connects with prior narrative; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  2. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: they said; Notes: introduces direct speech.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction of speech; Translation: to; Notes: standard preposition.
  4. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: them; Notes: refers to Moses and Aaron.
  5. Videat — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: jussive; Translation: may (the LORD) see; Notes: imprecatory plea.
  6. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Videat and iudicet; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH → rendered “LORD.”
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links coordinated subjunctives; Translation: and; Notes: ties the appeals together.
  8. iudicet — Lemma: iudico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: jussive; Translation: may judge; Notes: request for divine judgment.
  9. quoniam — Lemma: quoniam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: offers explanation.
  10. fœtere — Lemma: fœteo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complements fecistis; Translation: to stink; Notes: idiom of reputation.
  11. fecistis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: you have made; Notes: conveys blame.
  12. odorem — Lemma: odor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of fecistis; Translation: smell; Notes: metaphor for reputation.
  13. nostrum — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies odorem; Translation: our; Notes: collective reference.
  14. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates presence before someone; Translation: before; Notes: frequent in legal contexts.
  15. Pharaone — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: primary authority figure.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links nouns; Translation: and; Notes: connects two parties.
  17. servis — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: servants; Notes: Pharaoh’s officials.
  18. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies servis; Translation: his; Notes: refers to Pharaoh.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connects accusations; Translation: and; Notes: buildup of grievances.
  20. præbuistis — Lemma: præbeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you have given / provided; Notes: metaphorically “armed him.”
  21. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Pharaoh.
  22. gladium — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of præbuistis; Translation: a sword; Notes: metaphor for giving power.
  23. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: introduces final clause; Translation: so that; Notes: indicates intended result.
  24. occideret — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of final clause; Translation: he might kill; Notes: potential harm implied.
  25. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of occideret; Translation: us; Notes: Israelite overseers fearing execution.

 

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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