Exodus 8:28

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:28 Dixitque Pharao: Ego dimittam vos ut sacrificetis Domino Deo vestro in deserto: verumtamen longius ne abeatis, rogate pro me.

And Pharao said: “I will let you go so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the desert, nevertheless do not go far away; pray for me.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M
3 Ego I NOM.SG.
4 dimittam I will let go 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 vos you ACC.PL.
6 ut so that CONJ
7 sacrificetis you may sacrifice 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
9 Deo to God DAT.SG.M
10 vestro your DAT.SG.M / ABL.SG.M (ADJ)
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 deserto desert ABL.SG.N
13 verumtamen nevertheless ADV
14 longius farther ADV.COMP
15 ne lest NEG.CONJ
16 abeatis you go away 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
17 rogate pray 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
18 pro for PREP+ABL
19 me me ABL.SG.

Syntax

Main Clause:
Pharao — Subject
Dixitque — Main narrative verb
Ego dimittam vos — Declarative statement (“I will let you go”)
vos — Direct object

Purpose Clause:
ut sacrificetis Domino Deo vestro — Action intended by dimittam
sacrificetis — Subjunctive of purpose

Locative Phrase:
in deserto — Specifies place of sacrifice

Adversative Restriction:
verumtamen — Introduces limitation
ne abeatis — Negative subjunctive of prohibition (“do not go far away”)

Imperative Clause:
rogate pro me — Command with prepositional phrase “for me”

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: -que links with previous narrative action.
  2. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Pharao”; Notes: Standard Vulgate form.
  3. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasis contrasts with earlier refusals.
  4. dimittam — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of promise; Translation: “I will let go”; Notes: Future intention from Pharao.
  5. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of dimittam; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Israelites.
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: expresses intention; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Governs subjunctive.
  7. sacrificetis — Lemma: sacrifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 2nd plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “you may sacrifice”; Notes: Subjunctive of purpose after ut.
  8. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  9. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: apposition to Domino; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Further clarifies deity.
  10. vestro — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative/ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deo/ Domino; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates covenant relationship.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative marker; Translation: “in”; Notes: No motion implied here.
  12. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “desert”; Notes: Setting of intended worship.
  13. verumtamen — Lemma: verumtamen; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adversative marker; Function: introduces restriction; Translation: “nevertheless”; Notes: Softens the concession.
  14. longius — Lemma: longius; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: comparative; Function: modifies abeatis; Translation: “farther”; Notes: Indicates degree of distance.
  15. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: negative conjunction; Form: introduces prohibited action; Function: negates subjunctive; Translation: “lest / do not”; Notes: Standard negative clause.
  16. abeatis — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 2nd plural; Function: verb of prohibition; Translation: “you go away”; Notes: Subjunctive dependent on ne.
  17. rogate — Lemma: rogo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd plural; Function: command; Translation: “pray”; Notes: Direct request.
  18. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses benefit; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates intercession.
  19. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “me”; Notes: Pharao asks for intercession.

 

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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