Exodus 32:34

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:34 tu autem vade, et duc populum istum quo locutus sum tibi: angelus meus præcedet te. Ego autem in die ultionis visitabo et hoc peccatum eorum.

but you, go and lead this people to the place of which I have spoken to you; My angel will go before you. But I, in the day of vengeance, will visit also this their sin.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 tu you NOM.SG PRON PERS
2 autem however ADV INDECL
3 vade go 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER IRREG
4 et and CONJ INDECL
5 duc lead 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER 3RD CONJ
6 populum people ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
7 istum this ACC.SG.M PRON DEM
8 quo to which ABL.SG.N PRON REL
9 locutus spoken NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.DEP 3RD CONJ
10 sum I have 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG
11 tibi to you DAT.SG PRON PERS
12 angelus angel NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
13 meus my NOM.SG.M ADJ POSS 1ST/2ND
14 præcedet will go before 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
15 te you ACC.SG PRON PERS
16 Ego I NOM.SG PRON PERS
17 autem however ADV INDECL
18 in in PREP+ABL INDECL
19 die day ABL.SG.F NOUN 5TH DECL
20 ultionis of vengeance GEN.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
21 visitabo I will visit / punish 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
22 et also CONJ INDECL
23 hoc this ACC.SG.N PRON DEM
24 peccatum sin ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
25 eorum of them GEN.PL PRON PERS

Syntax

Imperative Sequence:
tu autem vade, et duc populum istum — “But you, go, and lead this people.”
• Two coordinated imperatives.
• *tu* = emphatic personal subject.
• *istum* adds emotional distance (“that people of yours”).

quo locutus sum tibi — “to which I have spoken to you.”
• *quo* (ABL) = destination intended.
• *locutus sum* = deponent perfect.

angelus meus præcedet te — “My angel will go before you.”
• *præcedet* = protective leading.

Ego autem in die ultionis visitabo et hoc peccatum eorum
• *Ego autem* = emphatic contrast with the angel’s role.
• *visitabo* = here “punish, call to account.”
• Direct object = *hoc peccatum eorum* (“this their sin”).

Morphology

  1. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: you; Notes: Contrasts Moses with God’s separate action.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adversative connector; Translation: however; Notes: Soft contrast marker.
  3. vade — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: go; Notes: Strong directional sending.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Links two imperatives.
  5. duc — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: lead; Notes: Governing verb of leadership over Israel.
  6. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of *duc*; Translation: people; Notes: Israel as a collective.
  7. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifier of *populum*; Translation: this; Notes: Often carries nuance of disdain.
  8. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: expresses destination; Translation: to which; Notes: ABL. of goal.
  9. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of periphrastic perfect; Translation: spoken; Notes: Deponent: passive form, active meaning.
  10. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: I have; Notes: Forms perfect tense with participle.
  11. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: Marks recipient of speech.
  12. angelus — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: angel; Notes: Divine messenger representing God’s presence.
  13. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies *angelus*; Translation: my; Notes: Emphasizes divine delegation.
  14. præcedet — Lemma: præcedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will go before; Notes: Future guidance.
  15. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of *præcedet*; Translation: you; Notes: Moses personally guided.
  16. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: I; Notes: Contrasts God’s action with His angel’s.
  17. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: contrasts with previous clause; Translation: however; Notes: Marks shift to judgment.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: temporal phrase; Translation: in; Notes: Introduces time of judgment.
  19. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of *in*; Translation: day; Notes: Fifth declension irregularities.
  20. ultionis — Lemma: ultio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of description; Translation: of vengeance; Notes: Defines nature of the day.
  21. visitabo — Lemma: visito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I will visit / punish; Notes: Often means “call to account.”
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: addition; Translation: and; Notes: Adds judgment on sin.
  23. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies *peccatum*; Translation: this; Notes: Points to specific sin—golden calf.
  24. peccatum — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of *visitabo*; Translation: sin; Notes: Direct judgment on their idolatry.
  25. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of them; Notes: Indicates collective responsibility.

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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