Exodus 16:15

Posted on March 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 16:15 Quod cum vidissent filii Israel, dixerunt ad invicem: Manhu? quod significat: Quid est hoc? ignorabant enim quid esset. Quibus ait Moyses: Iste est panis, quem Dominus dedit vobis ad vescendum.

When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another: “Manhu?” which means: “What is this?” For they did not know what it was. And Moyses said to them: “This is the bread, which the LORD has given you to eat.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod which ACC.SG.N (REL)
2 cum when CONJ
3 vidissent they had seen 3PL.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
4 filii sons NOM.PL.M
5 Israel Israel NOM.SG.M (INVAR)
6 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 invicem to one another ACC.SG (INDECL)
9 Manhu Manhu (“What is it?”) NOM.SG.N (INDECL)
10 quod which NOM.SG.N (REL)
11 significat means 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 Quid what NOM/ACC.SG.N (INTERROG)
13 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 hoc this NOM/ACC.SG.N (DEM)
15 ignorabant they did not know 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
16 enim for CONJ
17 quid what ACC.SG.N (INTERROG)
18 esset it was 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
19 Quibus to whom DAT.PL (REL)
20 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
22 Iste this NOM.SG.M (DEM)
23 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
24 panis bread NOM.SG.M
25 quem which ACC.SG.M (REL)
26 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
27 dedit gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
28 vobis to you DAT.PL
29 ad for PREP+ACC
30 vescendum for eating GERUNDV.ACC

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Quod cum vidissent filii Israel — “When the sons of Israel saw it”; Quod refers to the previously mentioned phenomenon (manna); vidissent is pluperfect subjunctive in a cum-clause.
Main Clause: dixerunt ad invicem — finite verb of speaking with reciprocal expression ad invicem (“to one another”).
Quoted Question: Manhu? — a transliteration of Hebrew מָן הוּא “What is it?”, preserved as a single lexical item, with the following Latin clause quod significat: Quid est hoc? explicitly glossing its meaning.
Explanatory Clause: quod significat: Quid est hoc? — quod (neuter) refers to Manhu; significat gives the meaning, and the direct question Quid est hoc? is the content of that meaning.
Causal Clause: ignorabant enim quid esset — explains why they uttered the question; quid esset is an indirect question governed by ignorabant.
Relative + Speech Formula: Quibus ait Moyses — “to whom Moses said”; Quibus is dative plural referring back to the Israelites.
Declarative Identification: Iste est panis, quem Dominus dedit vobis ad vescendum — demonstrative subject Iste (“this”) equated with panis (“bread”), modified by relative clause quem Dominus dedit vobis, and purpose phrase ad vescendum (“for eating”).

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object within the temporal clause; Translation: “which / it”; Notes: refers back to the previously mentioned phenomenon (manna).
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: takes subjunctive verb in narrative style.
  3. vidissent — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person plural; Function: verb of cum-clause; Translation: “they had seen”; Notes: prior action relative to main clause.
  4. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: collective designation for Israelites.
  5. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (INVAR); Function: in apposition to filii; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: indeclinable proper name.
  6. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: main verb of speech; Translation: “they said”; Notes: introduces direct quotation.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: standard preposition with verbs of speaking.
  8. invicem — Lemma: invicem; Part of Speech: adverbial noun; Form: accusative singular (INDECL); Function: reciprocal adverbial (“to one another”); Translation: “to one another”; Notes: expresses mutual action.
  9. Manhu — Lemma: Manhu; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable loanword); Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: quoted exclamation and subject term; Translation: “Manhu”; Notes: Latin transliteration of Hebrew מָן הוּא “What is it?”, whose meaning is immediately explained by quod significat: Quid est hoc?.
  10. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: refers to Manhu; Translation: “which”; Notes: subject of significat.
  11. significat — Lemma: significo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of explanation; Translation: “means”; Notes: introduces Latin gloss of the Hebrew phrase.
  12. Quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: pronoun (interrogative); Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: interrogative pronoun in direct question; Translation: “what”; Notes: part of explicit Latin rendering of מָן.
  13. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: links quid and hoc.
  14. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: deictic reference; Translation: “this”; Notes: points to the visible substance.
  15. ignorabant — Lemma: ignoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: “they did not know”; Notes: imperfect marks ongoing ignorance.
  16. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: postpositive; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: “for”; Notes: never stands first in its clause.
  17. quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: pronoun (interrogative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object within indirect question; Translation: “what”; Notes: governed by esset.
  18. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “it was”; Notes: subjunctive required by indirect question after verb of knowing.
  19. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object (“to whom”); Translation: “to whom”; Notes: refers back to the same Israelites.
  20. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: “said”; Notes: introduces Moses’ explanation.
  21. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: proper name.
  22. Iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: demonstrative subject; Translation: “this”; Notes: points directly to the manna.
  23. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: equates demonstrative with predicate noun.
  24. panis — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “bread”; Notes: identifies manna as sustenance.
  25. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of dedit; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers back to panis.
  26. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dedit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH, rendered with small caps convention.
  27. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “gave”; Notes: completed divine act of provision.
  28. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: refers to the people of Israel.
  29. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces purpose phrase; Translation: “for”; Notes: standard with gerundive of purpose.
  30. vescendum — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: verb (gerundive/gerund); Form: gerundive (gerundive/gerund) accusative singular; Function: expresses purpose with ad; Translation: “eating”; Notes: “ad vescendum” = “for eating / to be eaten.”

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.