Exodus 12:44

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 12:44 Omnis autem servus emptitius circumcidetur, et sic comedet.

But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and thus he shall eat.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnis every NOM.SG.M.ADJ
2 autem but ADV/CONJ
3 servus servant NOM.SG.M
4 emptitius bought NOM.SG.M.ADJ
5 circumcidetur shall be circumcised 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
6 et and CONJ
7 sic thus ADV
8 comedet he shall eat 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main clause:
Omnis autem servus emptitius circumcidetur — “But every bought servant shall be circumcised.”
• Omnis servus emptitius = subject
• circumcidetur = future passive indicative (required ritual)

Coordinated result clause:
et sic comedet — “and thus he shall eat.”
• sic = adverb meaning “thus / in this state”
• comedet = main verb indicating permission after circumcision

Morphology

  1. Omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies servus; Translation: “every”; Notes: universal rule for household slaves.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adversative conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: slight contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: continues regulation list.
  3. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “servant”; Notes: refers to a slave within an Israelite household.
  4. emptitius — Lemma: emptitius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies servus; Translation: “bought”; Notes: distinguishes purchased slaves from homeborn ones.
  5. circumcidetur — Lemma: circumcido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative third singular; Function: main verb of requirement; Translation: “shall be circumcised”; Notes: marks covenant inclusion prerequisite.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects the second statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordination.
  7. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses manner; Translation: “thus”; Notes: indicates the required condition for eating.
  8. comedet — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall eat”; Notes: eating the Passover is permitted only after circumcision.

 

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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