Exodus 33:3

Posted on March 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 33:3 et intres in terram fluentem lacte et melle. Non enim ascendam tecum, quia populus duræ cervicis es: ne forte disperdam te in via.

and enter into the land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not ascend with you, because you are a stiff-necked people, lest perhaps I destroy you on the way.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 intres you may enter 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ 3RD CONJ
3 in into PREP+ACC
4 terram land ACC.SG.F 1ST DECL
5 fluentem flowing PTCP.PRES.ACT.ACC.SG.F 2ND CONJ
6 lacte with milk ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
7 et and CONJ
8 melle with honey ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
9 Non not ADV
10 enim for ADV
11 ascendam I will ascend 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
12 tecum with you PREP+ABL (cum + te)
13 quia because CONJ
14 populus people NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL
15 duræ of hard GEN.SG.F ADJ POS
16 cervicis neck GEN.SG.F 3RD DECL
17 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
18 ne lest CONJ
19 forte perhaps ADV
20 disperdam I destroy 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ 3RD CONJ
21 te you ACC.SG PERS.PRON
22 in on PREP+ABL
23 via the way ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL

Syntax

Purpose/Result Sequence: et intres in terram — subordinate to previous command.
Participial Modifier: fluentem lacte et melle — describes terram.
Main Negative Clause: Non enim ascendam tecum — subject implied (ego).
Causal Clause: quia populus duræ cervicis es — identifies reason for divine withdrawal.
Prevention Clause: ne forte disperdam te — expresses avoided consequence.
Locative Phrase: in via — where potential destruction could occur.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: connective to prior discourse.
  2. intres — Lemma: intro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: you may enter; Notes: subjunctive expresses purpose or anticipated action.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: into; Notes: contrasts with in + ablative later.
  4. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: land; Notes: promised land.
  5. fluentem — Lemma: fluo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: flowing; Notes: imagery of abundance.
  6. lacte — Lemma: lac; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with milk; Notes: descriptive complement.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links ablatives; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  8. melle — Lemma: mel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with honey; Notes: paired with lacte.
  9. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: strong negation.
  10. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: explanatory; Translation: for; Notes: introduces cause.
  11. ascendam — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I will ascend; Notes: divine withdrawal.
  12. tecum — Lemma: cum + te; Part of Speech: prepositional phrase; Form: ablative singular; Function: modifies ascendam; Translation: with you; Notes: enclitic form of cum.
  13. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: explains divine decision.
  14. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of es; Translation: people; Notes: covenant nation.
  15. duræ — Lemma: durus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies cervicis; Translation: of hard; Notes: idiomatic “stiff-necked.”
  16. cervicis — Lemma: cervix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive governed by duræ; Translation: neck; Notes: Hebrew idiom rendered literally.
  17. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: you are; Notes: predicate adjective construction.
  18. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces negative purpose; Function: negative prevention marker; Translation: lest; Notes: standard biblical usage.
  19. forte — Lemma: forte; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: softens clause; Translation: perhaps; Notes: adds nuance.
  20. disperdam — Lemma: disperdo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of the ne-clause; Translation: I destroy; Notes: potential action avoided.
  21. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of disperdam; Translation: you; Notes: singular addressing the people via Moses.
  22. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: on; Notes: situational modifier.
  23. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: the way; Notes: denotes journey context.

 

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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