Exodus 19:19

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:19 Et sonitus buccinæ paulatim crescebat in maius, et prolixius tendebatur: Moyses loquebatur, et Deus respondebat ei.

And the sound of the trumpet was gradually increasing more and more, and it was extended longer; Moyses was speaking, and God was answering him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 sonitus sound NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 buccinæ of the trumpet NOUN.GEN.SG.F
4 paulatim gradually ADV
5 crescebat was increasing 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
6 in into PREP+ACC
7 maius greater ADJ.ACC.SG.N.CMPR
8 et and CONJ
9 prolixius longer ADJ.ACC.SG.N.CMPR
10 tendebatur was being stretched 3SG.IMP.PASS.IND
11 Moyses Moses NOUN.NOM.SG.M
12 loquebatur was speaking 3SG.IMP.DEP.IND
13 et and CONJ
14 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M
15 respondebat was answering 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
16 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main Descriptive Clause:
Et sonitus buccinæ paulatim crescebat in maius — Subject: sonitus buccinæ; Verb: crescebat; Modifier: paulatim; Goal phrase: in maius.

Coordinated Descriptive Clause:
et prolixius tendebatur — Subject still sonitus; Passive verb tendebatur; Complement prolixius.

Parallel Action Clause:
Moyses loquebatur — Subject: Moyses; Verb: loquebatur.

Coordinated Divine Response:
et Deus respondebat ei — Subject: Deus; Verb: respondebat; Indirect object ei.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: frequent connective in narrative.
  2. sonitus — Lemma: sonitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: sound; Notes: nominative of a 4th declension noun.
  3. buccinæ — Lemma: buccina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the trumpet; Notes: instrument used at Sinai.
  4. paulatim — Lemma: paulatim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies crescebat; Translation: gradually; Notes: indicates slow progression.
  5. crescebat — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: was increasing; Notes: imperfect shows continuous escalation.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: expresses progression toward a state; Translation: into; Notes: used with comparative.
  7. maius — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter comparative; Function: object of in; Translation: greater; Notes: comparative expressing intensification.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: linking two descriptions of increasing intensity.
  9. prolixius — Lemma: prolixus; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative adverbial); Form: accusative singular neuter comparative; Function: complement of tendebatur; Translation: longer; Notes: literally “more extended.”
  10. tendebatur — Lemma: tendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect passive indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: was being stretched; Notes: passive highlights the sound’s extension.
  11. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of loquebatur; Translation: Moses; Notes: central prophetic figure.
  12. loquebatur — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: imperfect deponent indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of Moses’ action; Translation: was speaking; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Moses’ action with God’s response; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates parallel actions.
  14. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondebat; Translation: God; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  15. respondebat — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: was answering; Notes: describes repeated divine response.
  16. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Moses.

 

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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