Exodus 14:11

Posted on March 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 14:11 et dixerunt ad Moysen: Forsitan non erant sepulchra in Ægypto, ideo tulisti nos ut moreremur in solitudine: quid hoc facere voluisti, ut educeres nos ex Ægypto?

and they said to Moyses: “Perhaps there were no tombs in Egypt, therefore you have taken us away so that we might die in the wilderness; what is this that you have wished to do, that you led us out of Egypt?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Moysen Moses NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 Forsitan perhaps ADV
6 non not ADV
7 erant there were 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
8 sepulchra tombs NOUN.NOM.PL.N
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 Ægypto Egypt NOUN.ABL.SG.F
11 ideo therefore ADV
12 tulisti you took 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 nos us PRON.ACC.PL
14 ut so that CONJ
15 moreremur we might die 1PL.IMP.DEP.SUBJ
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 solitudine wilderness NOUN.ABL.SG.F
18 quid what INTERROG.PRON.ACC.SG.N
19 hoc this PRON.ACC.SG.N
20 facere to do INF.PRES.ACT
21 voluisti you wished 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
22 ut that CONJ
23 educeres you led out 2SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
24 nos us PRON.ACC.PL
25 ex from PREP+ABL
26 Ægypto Egypt NOUN.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Opening clause: et dixerunt ad Moysen — verb of speaking with indirect object.
Rhetorical question 1: Forsitan non erant sepulchra in Ægypto — sarcastic question expressing complaint.
Purpose clause: ideo tulisti nos ut moreremur in solitudine — ut + subjunctive = purpose (accusatory).
Rhetorical question 2: quid hoc facere voluisti — interrogative pronoun + infinitive phrase.
Final purpose clause: ut educeres nos ex Ægypto — imperfect subjunctive for past intended action.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: introduces direct speech.
  2. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they said”; Notes: standard reporting verb.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks addressee; Translation: “to”; Notes: expresses direction.
  4. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Latinized Moshe.
  5. Forsitan — Lemma: forsitan; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses uncertainty/sarcasm; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: introduces rhetorical question.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: modifies erant.
  7. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third plural; Function: verb of rhetorical question; Translation: “there were”; Notes: habitual/past state.
  8. sepulchra — Lemma: sepulchrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “tombs”; Notes: sarcastic exaggeration.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: geographical context.
  10. Ægypto — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: homeland of slavery ironically recalled.
  11. ideo — Lemma: ideo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces consequence; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: accusatory tone.
  12. tulisti — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative second singular; Function: verb governing nos; Translation: “you took”; Notes: expresses blame.
  13. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object; Translation: “us”; Notes: complaint of mistreatment.
  14. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: hostile attribution.
  15. moreremur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive first plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “we might die”; Notes: deponent form.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: introduces setting.
  17. solitudine — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “wilderness”; Notes: evokes danger.
  18. quid — Lemma: quis/quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of voluisti; Translation: “what”; Notes: rhetorical protest.
  19. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: specifies quid; Translation: “this”; Notes: emphatic.
  20. facere — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to do”; Notes: part of idiom quid… facere voluisti.
  21. voluisti — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative second singular; Function: main verb of question; Translation: “you wished”; Notes: expresses accusation.
  22. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: purpose of Moses’ supposed intention.
  23. educeres — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive second singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “you led out”; Notes: imperfect subjunctive for past intent.
  24. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of educeres; Translation: “us”; Notes: complained-of victims.
  25. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: source; Translation: “from”; Notes: expresses departure.
  26. Ægypto — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: birthplace of complaint.

 

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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