Exodus 16:20

Posted on March 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 16:20 Qui non audierunt eum, sed dimiserunt quidam ex eis usque mane, et scatere cœpit vermibus, atque computruit. et iratus est contra eos Moyses.

And those who did not listen to him, but some of them left it until the morning, and it began to swarm with worms and it rotted, and Moyses was angry against them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.PL.M (REL)
2 non not ADV
3 audierunt they heard 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 eum him ACC.SG.M (PERS)
5 sed but CONJ
6 dimiserunt they left 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 quidam some NOM.PL.M (INDEF)
8 ex from PREP+ABL
9 eis them ABL.PL.M (PERS)
10 usque until ADV
11 mane morning ACC.SG.N (INDECL)
12 et and CONJ
13 scatere to swarm INF.PRES.ACT
14 coepit it began 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 vermibus with worms ABL.PL.M
16 atque and CONJ
17 computruit it rotted 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 et and CONJ
19 iratus angry NOM.SG.M (PTCP.PERF.PASS)
20 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
21 contra against PREP+ACC
22 eos them ACC.PL.M (PERS)
23 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui non audierunt eum — subject Qui, verb audierunt, object eum.
Adversative Clause: sed dimiserunt quidam ex eis — “but certain ones of them left [it].”
Temporal Phrase: usque mane — “until morning.”
Result Clause: et scatere coepit vermibus — “and it began to swarm with worms.”
Consecutive Verb: atque computruit — “and it rotted.”
Main Final Clause: et iratus est contra eos Moyses — Moses became angry against them.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of audierunt; Translation: “who”; Notes: introduces the group disobeying.
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard negation.
  3. audierunt — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “they heard”; Notes: meaning “they obeyed.”
  4. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun (personal); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: “him”; Notes: refers to Moses.
  5. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: strong adversative.
  6. dimiserunt — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “they left”; Notes: disobedience to Moses’ explicit command.
  7. quidam — Lemma: quidam; Part of Speech: pronoun (indefinite); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “certain ones”; Notes: implies partial disobedience.
  8. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: partitive; Translation: “from”; Notes: used with partitive sense.
  9. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: complement of ex; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to Israelites.
  10. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: expresses temporal limit; Translation: “until”; Notes: common in temporal phrases.
  11. mane — Lemma: mane; Part of Speech: noun/adverb (indeclinable); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: time expression; Translation: “morning”; Notes: indeclinable.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: link clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connective.
  13. scatere — Lemma: scateo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complements coepit; Translation: “to swarm”; Notes: vivid description of decay.
  14. coepit — Lemma: coepio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “it began”; Notes: introduces complementary infinitive.
  15. vermibus — Lemma: vermis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with worms”; Notes: indicates infestation.
  16. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: stronger than et.
  17. computruit — Lemma: computruo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “it rotted”; Notes: full corruption of manna.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links final clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues narrative.
  19. iratus — Lemma: irascor (deponent); Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect participle passive in form, active in meaning, nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective with est; Translation: “angry”; Notes: describes Moses’ reaction.
  20. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “was”; Notes: forms verbal phrase with iratus.
  21. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates opposition; Translation: “against”; Notes: expresses Moses’ indignation.
  22. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to the disobedient.
  23. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: placed at end for emphasis.

 

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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