Exodus 9:21

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 9:21 qui autem neglexit sermonem Domini, dimisit servos suos, et iumenta in agris.

but he who neglected the word of the LORD released his servants and his cattle in the fields.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 qui he who REL.PRON.MASC.SG.NOM
2 autem but CONJ
3 neglexit neglected V.IND.PERF.ACT.3SG
4 sermonem word N.MASC.SG.ACC
5 Domini of the LORD N.MASC.SG.GEN
6 dimitisit he released V.IND.PERF.ACT.3SG
7 servos servants N.MASC.PL.ACC
8 suos his ADJ.POSS.MASC.PL.ACC
9 et and CONJ
10 iumenta cattle N.NEUT.PL.ACC
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 agris fields N.MASC.PL.ABL

Syntax

Subject: qui autem (“but he who…”) introduces the contrasting subject.
Main Verb 1: neglexit expresses the completed act of disregarding the divine warning.
Object of neglexit: sermonem Domini is the direct object, with Domini as a genitive modifier.
Main Verb 2: dimitisit indicates an action that left servants and cattle exposed.
Direct Objects of dimisit: servos suos and iumenta receive the action of being released.
Locative Phrase: in agris shows their dangerous location outdoors.

Morphology

  1. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces the subject of the clause; Translation: “he who”; Notes: contrasts with the preceding obedient servant.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/particle; Form: postpositive coordinating conjunction; Function: provides contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: marks a shift from obedience to negligence.
  3. neglexit — Lemma: neglego; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb describing the neglect; Translation: “neglected”; Notes: perfect tense implies decisive refusal to respond.
  4. sermonem — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of neglexit; Translation: “word”; Notes: sermo often indicates a spoken message or warning.
  5. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of sermonem; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH under translation rules.
  6. dimisit — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: expresses the negligent release of servants and animals; Translation: “released”; Notes: implies leaving them unprotected.
  7. servos — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of dimisit; Translation: “servants”; Notes: refers to human laborers left at risk.
  8. suos — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifying servos; Translation: “his”; Notes: reflexive, referring back to the negligent man himself.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: joins a second object to dimisit; Translation: “and”; Notes: connects servos suos with iumenta.
  10. iumenta — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: second direct object of dimisit; Translation: “cattle”; Notes: includes livestock and work animals.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: contrasts with the shelter of “domos” in the previous verse.
  12. agris — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “fields”; Notes: open, unprotected terrain exposed to the hail.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.