Exodus 32:21

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

21 Dixitque ad Aaron: Quid tibi fecit hic populus, ut induceres super eum peccatum maximum?

And he said to Aaron: “What did this people do to you, that you should bring upon them so great a sin?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ + ENCLITIC
2 ad to PREP+ACC INDECL
3 Aaron Aaron ACC.SG.M NOUN INDECL
4 Quid what ACC.SG.N PRON INTERROG
5 tibi to you DAT.SG PRON PERS
6 fecit did 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
7 hic this NOM.SG.M PRON DEM
8 populus people NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
9 ut that / so that CONJ INDECL
10 induceres you brought upon 2SG.IMP.SUBJ.ACT 3RD CONJ
11 super upon PREP+ACC INDECL
12 eum him / it ACC.SG.M PRON PERS
13 peccatum sin ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
14 maximum greatest / very great ACC.SG.N ADJ SUPER

Syntax

Main Clause:
Dixitque ad Aaron — “And he said to Aaron”
• Dixitque = perfect narrative verb.
• ad Aaron = indirect object expression.

Direct Question:
Quid tibi fecit hic populus — “What did this people do to you?”
• Quid = interrogative object.
• tibi = dative of reference.
• hic populus = subject.

Result / Purpose Clause:
ut induceres super eum peccatum maximum — “that you should bring upon them such a great sin”
• ut + imperfect subjunctive expresses outcome or implied blame.
• induceres = verb of clause.
• super eum = prepositional phrase (“upon them”).
• peccatum maximum = object with superlative adjective.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: and he said; Notes: -que links to preceding action and maintains narrative flow.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: Standard government pattern with verbs of speaking.
  3. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular (indeclinable); Function: object of ad; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Hebrew names often indeclinable in the Vulgate.
  4. Quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: what; Notes: Introduces the central accusatory question.
  5. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: dative of reference; Translation: to you; Notes: Shows Aaron as the affected party.
  6. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of question; Translation: did; Notes: Perfect denotes completed prior action.
  7. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies populus; Translation: this; Notes: Emphatic “this people,” expressing reproach.
  8. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of fecit; Translation: people; Notes: Refers to Israel as a collective entity.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces result/purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: Implies moral consequence.
  10. induceres — Lemma: induco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of result clause; Translation: you might bring upon; Notes: Imperfect subjunctive signals dependent action imagined or reproached.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative here; Function: indicates direction or imposition; Translation: upon; Notes: Often used metaphorically (“bring sin upon”).
  12. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of super; Translation: him / it; Notes: Refers collectively to Israel.
  13. peccatum — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of induceres; Translation: sin; Notes: The offense of idolatry.
  14. maximum — Lemma: maximus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies peccatum; Translation: greatest / very great; Notes: SUPER = superlative degree; expresses extremity of guilt.

 

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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