Exodus 32:31

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:31 Reversusque ad Dominum, ait: Obsecro, peccavit populus iste peccatum maximum, feceruntque sibi deos aureos: aut dimitte eis hanc noxam,

And returning to the LORD, he said: “I beg, this people has sinned a very great sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold; or if You will, forgive them this fault,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Reversusque and having returned NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.DEP + -QUE 3RD CONJ
2 ad to PREP+ACC INDECL
3 Dominum the LORD ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
4 ait he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG
5 Obsecro I beg 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
6 peccavit has sinned 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
7 populus people NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
8 iste this NOM.SG.M PRON DEM
9 peccatum sin ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
10 maximum very great ACC.SG.N ADJ SUPER
11 feceruntque and they made 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ + -QUE
12 sibi for themselves DAT.SG/M.PL REFLEXIVE PRON
13 deos gods ACC.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
14 aureos golden ACC.PL.M ADJ 1ST/2ND
15 aut or CONJ INDECL
16 dimitte forgive 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER 3RD CONJ
17 eis to them DAT.PL PRON PERS
18 hanc this ACC.SG.F PRON DEM
19 noxam fault ACC.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL

Syntax

Ablative Absolute Expanded:
Reversusque ad Dominum — “And having returned to the LORD”
• Perfect deponent participle marking prior action before the speech.
• -que links it tightly to the narrative.

Main Verb of Speech:
ait — “he said.”
• Standard introductory verb for solemn intercession.

Direct Address:
Obsecro — “I beg.”
• Strong plea opening Moses’ intercession.

Accusative + Infinitive Sense Without Infinitive:
peccavit populus iste peccatum maximum — “This people has committed a very great sin.”
• Predicate object peccatum maximum after peccavit.

Coordinated Perfects:
feceruntque sibi deos aureos — “and they made for themselves gods of gold.”
• Reflexive sibi expresses personal involvement.
• aureos = predicate adjective modifying deos.

Imperative Clause:
dimitte eis hanc noxam — “forgive them this fault.”
• Classical placement: indirect object → demonstrative → object.

Morphology

  1. Reversusque — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle + enclitic -que; Function: ablative-absolute-like temporal modifier; Translation: and having returned; Notes: Deponent with active meaning, linking Moses’ return with his speech.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction; Translation: to; Notes: Used with persons frequently in biblical Latin.
  3. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH explicitly.
  4. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of speaking; Translation: he said; Notes: Irregular verb common in narrative speeches.
  5. Obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first singular present active indicative; Function: earnest plea; Translation: I beg; Notes: Emotionally intense verb.
  6. peccavit — Lemma: pecco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative; Function: main predicate; Translation: has sinned; Notes: Perfect = completed act of grave rebellion.
  7. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: people; Notes: Emphatic position before iste.
  8. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: intensifier; Translation: this; Notes: Often expresses emotional nearness, sometimes reproach.
  9. peccatum — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: internal object; Translation: sin; Notes: With verbs of committing wrongdoing.
  10. maximum — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies peccatum; Translation: very great; Notes: SUPER degree, not comparative.
  11. feceruntque — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third plural perfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: narrative verb; Translation: and they made; Notes: Perfect indicates decisive action.
  12. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular/plural; Function: advantage; Translation: for themselves; Notes: Indicates self-directed action.
  13. deos — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: gods; Notes: Plural intensifies idolatry.
  14. aureos — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: describes deos; Translation: golden; Notes: Material adjective indicating idolatrous luxury.
  15. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: alternative option; Translation: or; Notes: Introduces Moses’ astonishing second petition.
  16. dimitte — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular present active imperative; Function: petition; Translation: forgive; Notes: One of Scripture’s strongest intercessory imperatives.
  17. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: Refers to all Israel corporately.
  18. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies noxam; Translation: this; Notes: Points to their specific crime.
  19. noxam — Lemma: noxa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of dimitte; Translation: fault; Notes: Stronger than peccatum, carries legal 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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