Exodus 17:4

Posted on March 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 17:4 Clamavit autem Moyses ad Dominum, dicens: Quid faciam populo huic? adhuc paululum, et lapidabit me.

And Moyses cried out to the LORD, saying: “What shall I do for this people? yet a little more, and they will stone me.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Clamavit cried out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem but CONJ
3 Moyses Moses NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Dominum the LORD NOUN.ACC.SG.M
6 dicens saying PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
7 Quid what ADV.INTERJ
8 faciam shall I do 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 populo for the people NOUN.DAT.SG.M
10 huic this PRON.DEM.DAT.SG.M
11 adhuc yet ADV
12 paululum a little more ADV
13 et and CONJ
14 lapidabit will stone 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 me me PRON.PERS.ACC.SG

Syntax

Main Verb: Clamavit with subject Moyses.
Prepositional Phrase: ad Dominum — direction of the cry.
Participial Phrase: dicens introduces reported speech.
Interrogative Clause: Quid faciam populo huic? — deliberative subjunctive expressing uncertainty.
Adverbial Sequence: adhuc paululum — temporal, meaning “a little longer.”
Main Future Clause: lapidabit me — expresses imminent danger (“he/they will stone me”).

Morphology

  1. Clamavit — Lemma: clamo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: cried out; Notes: expresses urgent appeal.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: transitional connector; Translation: but; Notes: mild adversative nuance.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: proper name of Hebrew origin.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: to; Notes: common marker of goal.
  5. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: saying; Notes: modifies Moyses.
  7. Quid — Lemma: quid; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces question; Translation: what; Notes: signals deliberation.
  8. faciam — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: deliberative subjunctive; Translation: shall I do; Notes: expresses uncertainty or plea for guidance.
  9. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: for the people; Notes: dative of advantage.
  10. huic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies populo; Translation: this; Notes: adds emphasis to the group in question.
  11. adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal nuance; Translation: yet; Notes: indicates imminence.
  12. paululum — Lemma: paululum; Part of Speech: adverb (used as neuter accusative of extent); Form: invariable; Function: quantifies time; Translation: a little more; Notes: diminutive intensifier.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: joins temporal sequence.
  14. lapidabit — Lemma: lapido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: will stone; Notes: expresses imminent threat.
  15. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of lapidabit; Translation: me; Notes: first-person object.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.