Exodus 34:11

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 34:11 Observa cuncta quæ hodie mando tibi: ego ipse eiiciam ante faciem tuam Amorrhæum, et Chananæum, et Hethæum, Pherezæum quoque, et Hevæum, et Iebusæum.

Observe all the things which today I command you: I myself will cast out before your face the Amorrhite, and the Chananite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite also, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Observa observe 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP 1ST CONJ
2 cuncta all things ACC.PL.N ADJ
3 quæ which ACC.PL.N REL.PRON
4 hodie today ADV
5 mando I command 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
6 tibi to you DAT.SG 2ND.PERS.PRON
7 ego I NOM.SG 1ST.PERS.PRON
8 ipse myself NOM.SG.M INTENS.PRON
9 eiiciam I will cast out 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
10 ante before PREP+ACC
11 faciem face ACC.SG.F 5TH DECL
12 tuam your ACC.SG.F POSS.ADJ
13 Amorrhæum Amorite ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
14 et and CONJ
15 Chananæum Canaanite ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
16 et and CONJ
17 Hethæum Hittite ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
18 Pherezæum Perizzite ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
19 quoque also ADV
20 et and CONJ
21 Hevæum Hivite ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
22 et and CONJ
23 Iebusæum Jebusite ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL

Syntax

Imperative Main Clause:
Observa cuncta quæ hodie mando tibi — “Observe all the things which today I command you.”
Subject (understood): the implied “you” in the imperative Observa.
Verb: Observa is the governing imperative.
Object: cuncta (“all things”) as the direct object.
Relative Clause: quæ hodie mando tibi modifies cuncta and specifies which “things” are to be observed.

Second Main Declaration (Divine Promise):
ego ipse eiiciam — “I myself will cast out.”
Subject: ego ipse, strongly emphatic first person.
Verb: eiiciam (“I will cast out”) expresses future divine action.

Prepositional Phrase of Advantage/Presence:
ante faciem tuam — “before your face,” idiomatically “before you / in front of you,” marking the addressee’s perspective.

Series of Direct Objects of “eiiciam”:
Amorrhæum, et Chananæum, et Hethæum, Pherezæum quoque, et Hevæum, et Iebusæum — a coordinated list of nations that function collectively as the direct objects of eiiciam, each joined by et with quoque adding emphasis to Pherezæum.

Morphology

  1. Observa — Lemma: observo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative; Function: main imperative verb issuing a direct command to the addressee; Translation: observe; Notes: as an imperative from the divine speaker, it frames the verse as a covenantal requirement that must be carried out continually.
  2. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of Observa, standing for “all things”; Translation: all things; Notes: the neuter plural substantive expresses the totality of commands or ordinances without listing them individually.
  3. quæ — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of mando inside the relative clause modifying cuncta; Translation: which; Notes: links the general “all things” to the specific content of what is commanded “today.”
  4. hodie — Lemma: hodie; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverbial modifier of mando indicating the time of the commanding; Translation: today; Notes: highlights the immediacy and present moment of the divine instruction.
  5. mando — Lemma: mando; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause quæ hodie mando tibi; Translation: I command; Notes: the present indicative portrays the command as actively being given by the divine speaker.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tū; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular, second person; Function: indirect object of mando, indicating the recipient of the commands; Translation: to you; Notes: the dative clarifies that the commands are directed personally to the addressee (Moses, and through him the people).
  7. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular, first person; Function: explicit subject of eiiciam; Translation: I; Notes: the explicit nominative pronoun adds emphasis, making clear that the divine speaker Himself is the acting subject.
  8. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: intensive modifier of ego, strengthening the self-reference of the subject; Translation: myself; Notes: underscores that the casting out of the nations is not delegated but personally undertaken by the LORD.
  9. eiiciam — Lemma: ēiciō (eicio); Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: finite verb of the second main clause expressing a future promise; Translation: I will cast out; Notes: the future tense presents the expulsion of the nations as a certain upcoming act of divine intervention.
  10. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: introduces the prepositional phrase ante faciem tuam; Translation: before; Notes: spatially locates the divine action as taking place “in front of” or “ahead of” the addressee.
  11. faciem — Lemma: faciēs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, fifth declension; Function: object of the preposition ante; Translation: face; Notes: idiomatically means “presence,” so the phrase can be understood as “before your presence.”
  12. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: agrees with and modifies faciem; Translation: your; Notes: marks the face, or presence, as belonging to the addressee, reinforcing the personal dimension of the promise.
  13. Amorrhæum — Lemma: Amorrhaeus; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of eiiciam; Translation: the Amorite; Notes: first in the series of nations designated for expulsion from the land.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Amorrhæum and Chananæum as co-objects of the same verb; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive conjunction building the coordinated list of nations.
  15. Chananæum — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: further direct object of eiiciam; Translation: the Canaanite; Notes: represents the inhabitants of the land commonly known as Canaan.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects Chananæum with Hethæum within the list; Translation: and; Notes: maintains the rhythm of a cumulative, item-by-item enumeration.
  17. Hethæum — Lemma: Hethaeus; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of eiiciam; Translation: the Hittite; Notes: another dispossessed group, associated with Hittite populations in the land.
  18. Pherezæum — Lemma: Pherezaeus; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of eiiciam; Translation: the Perizzite; Notes: appears in the standard biblical catalog of nations living in the promised land.
  19. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverbial intensifier associated here with Pherezæum; Translation: also; Notes: adds an emphatic “also” to show that this nation, too, is included in the removal.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins Pherezæum quoque to Hevæum in the continuing series; Translation: and; Notes: preserves the paratactic feel of the list.
  21. Hevæum — Lemma: Hevaeus; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of eiiciam; Translation: the Hivite; Notes: one of the smaller groups within the land, nevertheless explicitly named in the divine promise.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects Hevæum with Iebusæum as the list concludes; Translation: and; Notes: introduces the final element in the catalog of nations.
  23. Iebusæum — Lemma: Iebusaeus; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of eiiciam and final member of the coordinated series; Translation: the Jebusite; Notes: associated especially with the city of Jerusalem (Jebus), marking the completeness of the promised expulsion.

 

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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