Exodus 23:20

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:20 Ecce ego mittam Angelum meum, qui præcedat te, et custodiat in via, et introducat in locum quem paravi.

Behold, I will send My Angel, who shall go before you and guard you on the way, and shall bring you into the place that I have prepared.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ecce behold INTJ
2 ego I NOM.SG PRON PERS
3 mittam I will send 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
4 Angelum Angel ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
5 meum My ACC.SG.M POSS
6 qui who NOM.SG.M PRON REL
7 præcedat may go before 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 te you ACC.SG PRON PERS
9 et and CONJ
10 custodiat may guard 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 in on PREP+ABL
12 via the way ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL
13 et and CONJ
14 introducat may bring 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
15 in into PREP+ACC
16 locum place ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
17 quem which ACC.SG.M PRON REL
18 paravi I have prepared 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause:
Ecce ego mittam Angelum meum — “Behold, I will send My Angel.”
• ego = emphatic subject.
• Angelum meum = direct object.

Relative Clause (three coordinated subjunctives):
qui præcedat te — “who may go before you.”
et custodiat in via — “and may guard you on the way.”
et introducat in locum quem paravi — “and may bring you into the place that I have prepared.”

Subordinate Relative Clause:
quem paravi — “which I have prepared.”
• paravi = perfect indicative expressing completed divine action.

Morphology

  1. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: draws urgent attention; Translation: behold; Notes: introduces divine announcement.
  2. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: I; Notes: emphatic due to word order.
  3. mittam — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: I will send; Notes: future of divine promise.
  4. Angelum — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: Angel; Notes: heavenly messenger.
  5. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Angelum; Translation: My; Notes: divine ownership.
  6. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers to the Angel.
  7. præcedat — Lemma: praecedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: may go before; Notes: subjunctive expressing purpose/role of the Angel.
  8. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of præcedat; Translation: you; Notes: refers to Israel.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links coordinated verbs; Translation: and; Notes: joins related Angel actions.
  10. custodiat — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: second coordinated verb; Translation: may guard; Notes: divine protection.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: on; Notes: idiomatic with travel.
  12. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: way; Notes: journey to Canaan.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces third action; Translation: and; Notes: coordinating.
  14. introducat — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: third coordinated verb; Translation: may bring; Notes: denotes guidance into promised place.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: motion toward; Translation: into; Notes: directional.
  16. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: place; Notes: promised destination.
  17. quem — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of paravi; Translation: which; Notes: refers to locum.
  18. paravi — Lemma: paro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: I have prepared; Notes: divine preparation of destination.

 

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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