Exodus 12:28

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 12:28 Et egressi filii Israel fecerunt sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi et Aaron.

And the sons of Israel went out and did as the LORD had commanded Moyses and Aaron.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 egressi having gone out NOM.PL.M.PPP
3 filii sons NOM.PL.M
4 Israel Israel NOM.SG.M.INVAR
5 fecerunt did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
6 sicut as CONJ
7 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
8 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
9 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 Aaron Aaron DAT.SG.M.INVAR

Syntax

Main clause:
Et egressi filii Israel fecerunt — “And the sons of Israel went out and did”
• egressi = circumstantial participle (“having gone out”)
• filii Israel = compound subject
• fecerunt = main verb

Comparative clause:
sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi et Aaron — “as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron”
• Dominus = subject
• præceperat = pluperfect verb
• Moysi et Aaron = indirect objects

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: smooth narrative linkage.
  2. egressi — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: verb (perfect passive participle, deponent in meaning); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  3. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: tribal designation.
  4. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular (indeclinable); Function: genitive in sense with filii; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: patriarchal name.
  5. fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “did”; Notes: expresses completed obedience.
  6. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as”; Notes: sets standard of obedience.
  7. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb of comparative clause; Translation: “had commanded”; Notes: prior divine instruction.
  8. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  9. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to Moses”; Notes: recipient of instruction.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links indirect objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordination.
  11. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: indirect object; Translation: “to Aaron”; Notes: paired leadership role.

 

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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