Exodus 32:32

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:32 aut si non facis, dele me de libro tuo quem scripsisti.

or if You do not do so, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 aut or CONJ INDECL
2 si if CONJ INDECL
3 non not ADV INDECL
4 facis you do 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
5 dele blot out 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER 3RD CONJ
6 me me ACC.SG PRON PERS
7 de from PREP+ABL INDECL
8 libro book ABL.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
9 tuo your ABL.SG.M ADJ POSS 1ST/2ND
10 quem which ACC.SG.M PRON REL
11 scripsisti you have written 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ

Syntax

Disjunctive Alternative:
aut si non facis — “or if You do not do so”
• aut introduces the second, more radical option.
• si non facis = simple present condition addressed to God.

Main Imperative:
dele me — “blot me out.”
• A shocking intercessory command: Moses offers self-erasure.
• me = direct object.

Prepositional Phrase:
de libro tuo — “from Your book.”
• Ablative after de expresses separation.

Relative Clause:
quem scripsisti — “which You have written.”
• quem refers to libro.
• scripsisti perfect tense = completed divine inscription.

Morphology

  1. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces alternative clause; Translation: or; Notes: Stronger alternative than vel.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: conditional marker; Translation: if; Notes: Governs simple present condition.
  3. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Standard negator for verbs.
  4. facis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular present active indicative; Function: predicate of conditional clause; Translation: you do; Notes: Addressed directly to God.
  5. dele — Lemma: deleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular present active imperative; Function: main command; Translation: blot out; Notes: Imperative expresses radical intercession.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object; Translation: me; Notes: Moses places himself as substitute.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation; Translation: from; Notes: Common with nouns of writing or lists.
  8. libro — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: book; Notes: Interpreted traditionally as the “book of life.”
  9. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies libro; Translation: your; Notes: Possessive indicates divine authorship.
  10. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of scripsisti; Translation: which; Notes: Agrees with libro.
  11. scripsisti — Lemma: scribo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular perfect active indicative; Function: predicate of relative clause; Translation: you have written; Notes: Perfect tense emphasizes completed divine action.

 

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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