Exodus 11:2

Posted on March 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 11:2 Dices ergo omni plebi ut postulet vir ab amico suo, et mulier a vicina sua vasa argentea et aurea.

Therefore you shall tell all the people that a man must ask from his friend, and a woman from her neighbor, for silver and golden vessels.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dices you shall tell 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 omni to all DAT.SG.F
4 plebi people DAT.SG.F
5 ut that CONJ
6 postulet may ask 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 vir a man NOM.SG.M
8 ab from PREP+ABL
9 amico friend ABL.SG.M
10 suo his ABL.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 mulier a woman NOM.SG.F
13 a from PREP+ABL
14 vicina neighbor ABL.SG.F
15 sua her ABL.SG.F
16 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N
17 argentea silver ACC.PL.N
18 et and CONJ
19 aurea golden ACC.PL.N

Syntax

Main Instruction:
Verb: Dices — “you shall tell”
Indirect Object: omni plebi — “to all the people”

Subjunctive Clause of Command (ut + subj.):
• ut postulet — “that … may ask”
• vir = subject of postulet
• ab amico suo = source of request

Parallel Construction:
• mulier … a vicina sua — coordinated with vir
• vasa argentea et aurea — shared object (things being requested)

Morphology

  1. Dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd singular; Function: divine instruction; Translation: “you shall tell”; Notes: command directed to Moses.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: inferential; Function: marks logical conclusion; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: links to previous divine statement.
  3. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: modifies plebi; Translation: “to all”; Notes: universal scope.
  4. plebi — Lemma: plebs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “people”; Notes: Israelite populace.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces subjunctive clause; Function: expresses commanded action; Translation: “that”; Notes: introduces volitive subjunctive.
  6. postulet — Lemma: postulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of ut-clause; Translation: “may ask”; Notes: expresses commanded request.
  7. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of postulet; Translation: “a man”; Notes: masculine counterpart to mulier.
  8. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: used before vowels.
  9. amico — Lemma: amicus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of ab; Translation: “friend”; Notes: neighborly relationship.
  10. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies amico; Translation: “his”; Notes: reflexive possessive.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  12. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of parallel verb; Translation: “a woman”; Notes: counterpart to vir.
  13. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: variant of ab.
  14. vicina — Lemma: vicina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of a; Translation: “neighbor”; Notes: feminine counterpart to amicus.
  15. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies vicina; Translation: “her”; Notes: reflexive possessive.
  16. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of implied postulet; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: portable items of value.
  17. argentea — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: “silver”; Notes: material descriptor.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  19. aurea — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: “golden”; Notes: denotes precious metal.

 

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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