Exodus 18:23

Posted on March 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 18:23 Si hoc feceris, implebis imperium Dei, et præcepta eius poteris sustentare: et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace.

If you do this, you will fulfill the command of God, and you will be able to bear His precepts: and all this people will return to their own places in peace.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 hoc this PRON.DEM.ACC.SG.N
3 feceris you will have done 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
4 implebis you will fulfill 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 imperium command NOUN.ACC.SG.N
6 Dei of God NOUN.GEN.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 præcepta precepts NOUN.ACC.PL.N
9 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
10 poteris you will be able 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 sustinere to bear INF.PRES.ACT
12 et and CONJ
13 omnis all ADJ.NOM.SG.M
14 hic this PRON.DEM.NOM.SG.M
15 populus people NOUN.NOM.SG.M
16 revertetur will return 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
17 ad to PREP+ACC
18 loca places NOUN.ACC.PL.N
19 sua their own PRON.POSS.ACC.PL.N
20 cum with PREP+ABL
21 pace peace NOUN.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Protasis (Conditional Clause):
Si hoc feceris — future-more-vivid condition using future perfect.

Main Apodosis:
implebis imperium Dei — direct future result: “you will fulfill the command of God.”

Coordinated Future Result:
et præcepta eius poteris sustentare — ability to bear divine precepts.

Independent Future Statement:
et omnis hic populus revertetur ad loca sua cum pace — peaceful return of the people.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: if; Notes: forms protasis.
  2. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of feceris; Translation: this; Notes: refers to previous instruction.
  3. feceris — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: verb in protasis; Translation: you will have done; Notes: future-more-vivid construction.
  4. implebis — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd singular; Function: verb in apodosis; Translation: you will fulfill; Notes: expresses promised outcome.
  5. imperium — Lemma: imperium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of implebis; Translation: command; Notes: denotes divine command.
  6. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possession; Translation: of God; Notes: linked to imperium.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: additive.
  8. præcepta — Lemma: præceptum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of sustinere; Translation: precepts; Notes: divine obligations.
  9. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies præcepta; Translation: his; Notes: refers to God.
  10. poteris — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you will be able; Notes: expresses capability.
  11. sustinere — Lemma: sustineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to bear; Notes: depends on poteris.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links new clause; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  13. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies populus; Translation: all; Notes: emphatic whole group.
  14. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies populus; Translation: this; Notes: immediate audience.
  15. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of revertetur; Translation: people; Notes: Israelite assembly.
  16. revertetur — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative 3rd singular deponent; Function: main verb; Translation: will return; Notes: deponent in form but active in meaning.
  17. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: with loca.
  18. loca — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: places; Notes: dwelling places.
  19. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies loca; Translation: their own; Notes: reflexive.
  20. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: expresses manner.
  21. pace — Lemma: pax; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: peace; Notes: denotes peaceful outcome.

 

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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