Exodus 12:26

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 12:26 Et cum dixerint vobis filii vestri: Quæ est ista religio?

And when your sons shall say to you: “What is this rite?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 cum when CONJ
3 dixerint shall say 3PL.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
4 vobis to you DAT.PL
5 filii sons NOM.PL.M
6 vestri your NOM.PL.M.ADJ
7 Quæ what NOM.SG.F.INTERROG
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 ista this NOM.SG.F.DEM
10 religio rite NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Temporal clause:
Et cum dixerint vobis filii vestri — “And when your sons shall say to you”
• dixerint = verb of the clause, future perfect
• filii vestri = subject (“your sons”)
• vobis = indirect object

Quoted direct question:
Quæ est ista religio? — “What is this rite?”
• Quæ = interrogative pronoun (subject)
• est = copula
• ista religio = predicate nominative (“this rite”)

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links sentence to previous; Translation: “and”; Notes: connective.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal clause marker; Translation: “when”; Notes: introduces future-perfect temporal clause.
  3. dixerint — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative third plural; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they shall have said / shall say”; Notes: anticipates a future inquiry.
  4. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: addressees of the question.
  5. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: family lineage.
  6. vestri — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies filii; Translation: “your”; Notes: clarifies possession.
  7. Quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of question; Translation: “what”; Notes: agrees with religio.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: forms predicate.
  9. ista — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies religio; Translation: “this”; Notes: near to speaker’s perspective.
  10. religio — Lemma: religio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “rite”; Notes: refers to the Passover observance.

 

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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