Exodus 16:28

Posted on March 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 16:28 Dixit autem Dominus ad Moysen: Usquequo non vultis custodire mandata mea, et legem meam?

And the LORD said to Moyses: “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my law?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / but CONJ
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 Usquequo how long ADV.INTERROG
7 non not ADV
8 vultis you (pl.) are willing 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
9 custodire to keep INF.PRES.ACT
10 mandata commandments ACC.PL.N
11 mea my ACC.PL.N (POSS)
12 et and CONJ
13 legem law ACC.SG.F
14 meam my ACC.SG.F (POSS)

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixit autem Dominus ad Moysen — narrative introduction; “But the LORD said to Moses.”
Direct Question: Usquequo non vultis custodire mandata mea et legem meam? — rebuke framed as a question.
Verb Phrase: non vultis custodire — “you are unwilling to keep,” present tense showing persistent refusal.
Objects: mandata mea and legem meam — two direct objects coordinated by et.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: introduces direct speech.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: contrastive/postpositive; Translation: “but”; Notes: shifts tone.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: directional.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: proper name.
  6. Usquequo — Lemma: usquequo; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: opens rebuke-question; Translation: “how long”; Notes: expresses divine frustration.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: intensifies rebuke.
  8. vultis — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 2nd plural; Function: verb of refusal; Translation: “you (pl.) are willing”; Notes: volo used idiomatically with inf. custodire.
  9. custodire — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to keep”; Notes: expresses obedience.
  10. mandata — Lemma: mandatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of custodire; Translation: “commandments”; Notes: divine directives.
  11. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun (possessive); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies mandata; Translation: “my”; Notes: divine ownership.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links two objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordination.
  13. legem — Lemma: lex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of custodire; Translation: “law”; Notes: singular abstract term.
  14. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun (possessive); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies legem; Translation: “my”; Notes: emphasizes divine authority.

 

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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