Exodus 18:18

Posted on March 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 18:18 stulto labore consumeris et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est: ultra vires tuas est negotium, solus illud non poteris sustinere.

you are being worn out with foolish labor, both you and this people that is with you: the task is beyond your strength, you will not be able to bear it alone.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 stulto foolish ADJ.ABL.SG.M
2 labore labor NOUN.ABL.SG.M
3 consumeris you are worn out 2SG.FUT.PASS.IND
4 et and CONJ
5 tu you PRON.PERS.NOM.SG
6 et and CONJ
7 populus people NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 iste this PRON.DEM.NOM.SG.M
9 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.SG.M
10 tecum with you PREP+PRON.ABL.SG
11 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 ultra beyond PREP+ACC
13 vires strength NOUN.ACC.PL.F
14 tuas your ADJ.POSS.ACC.PL.F
15 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 negotium task NOUN.NOM.SG.N
17 solus alone ADJ.NOM.SG.M
18 illud it PRON.DEM.ACC.SG.N
19 non not ADV
20 poteris you will be able 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
21 sustinere to bear INF.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Instrumental Ablative Phrase:
stulto labore — ablative of means: “with foolish labor.”

Main Clause 1:
consumeris — passive future: “you are being worn out.”

Compound Subject:
et tu, et populus iste qui tecum est — “both you and this people who is with you.”

Main Clause 2:
ultra vires tuas est negotium — “the task is beyond your strength.”

Final Clause:
solus illud non poteris sustinere — “you will not be able to bear it alone.”

Morphology

  1. stulto — Lemma: stultus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies labore; Translation: foolish; Notes: ablative of means.
  2. labore — Lemma: labor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: labor; Notes: indicates cause of exhaustion.
  3. consumeris — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you are worn out; Notes: predictive future.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links subjects.
  5. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: you; Notes: emphatic.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds second subject; Translation: and; Notes: correlative usage.
  7. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: people; Notes: collective body.
  8. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies populus; Translation: this; Notes: indicates proximity.
  9. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers to populus.
  10. tecum — Lemma: te + cum; Part of Speech: preposition + pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: ablative of accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: fused form.
  11. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: is; Notes: descriptive.
  12. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses excess; Translation: beyond; Notes: spatial metaphor.
  13. vires — Lemma: vis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of ultra; Translation: strength; Notes: plural form standard.
  14. tuas — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies vires; Translation: your; Notes: matches noun.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main linking verb; Translation: is; Notes: equative.
  16. negotium — Lemma: negotium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: task; Notes: legal/business sense.
  17. solus — Lemma: solus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate to poteris; Translation: alone; Notes: expresses inadequate capacity.
  18. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: it; Notes: refers to negotium.
  19. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates poteris.
  20. poteris — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you will be able; Notes: ability in future.
  21. sustinere — Lemma: sustineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to bear; Notes: completes poteris.

 

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.