Exodus 19:23

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:23 Dixitque Moyses ad Dominum: Non poterit vulgus ascendere in montem Sinai: tu enim testificatus es, et iussisti, dicens: Pone terminos circa montem, et sanctifica illum.

And Moyses said to the LORD: “The crowd will not be able to ascend the mountain of Sinai, for You have testified and have commanded, saying: ‘Set boundaries around the mountain and sanctify it.’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 Moyses Moses NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Dominum LORD NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 Non not ADV
6 poterit will be able 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 vulgus the crowd NOUN.NOM.SG.N
8 ascendere to ascend INF.PRES.ACT
9 in onto PREP+ACC
10 montem mountain NOUN.ACC.SG.M
11 Sinai of Sinai NOUN.GEN.SG.M
12 tu you PRON.NOM.SG
13 enim for ADV
14 testificatus have testified PTCP.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M
15 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 et and CONJ
17 iussisti you have commanded 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 dicens saying PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
19 Pone set 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
20 terminos boundaries NOUN.ACC.PL.M
21 circa around PREP+ACC
22 montem mountain NOUN.ACC.SG.M
23 et and CONJ
24 sanctifica sanctify 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
25 illum it PRON.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Speech Introduction:
Dixitque Moyses ad Dominum — Moses speaks to the LORD.

Content Clause:
Non poterit vulgus ascendere in montem Sinai — future indicative expressing inability; vulgus = subject.

Causal Statement:
tu enim testificatus es et iussisti — perfects indicating prior divine declaration and command.

Quoted Commands:
Pone terminos circa montem — imperative with object terminos.
et sanctifica illum — second imperative, object illum referring to the mountain.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular with -que; Function: introduces speech; Translation: and said; Notes: -que links with preceding narrative flow.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: main speaker.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: marks indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: used with verbal communication.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  5. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates poterit.
  6. poterit — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: will be able; Notes: expresses certain future inability.
  7. vulgus — Lemma: vulgus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: the crowd; Notes: collective singular.
  8. ascendere — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: to ascend; Notes: completes poterit.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: motion towards; Translation: onto; Notes: used with ascent.
  10. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: mountain; Notes: Sinai.
  11. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Sinai; Notes: identifies the mountain.
  12. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of both perfects; Translation: you; Notes: emphasized by enim.
  13. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: gives reason; Translation: for; Notes: explanatory marker.
  14. testificatus — Lemma: testificor; Part of Speech: deponent verb participle; Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: part of periphrastic perfect; Translation: have testified; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  15. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd singular; Function: auxiliary for periphrastic; Translation: you are; Notes: forms perfect of deponent.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links perfect verbs; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  17. iussisti — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: divine command; Translation: you have commanded; Notes: direct, authoritative action.
  18. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces quoted speech; Translation: saying; Notes: standard participial introduction.
  19. Pone — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: divine command; Translation: set; Notes: instruction regarding holy boundaries.
  20. terminos — Lemma: terminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of pone; Translation: boundaries; Notes: physical limits for holiness.
  21. circa — Lemma: circa; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: around; Notes: encircling the mountain.
  22. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of circa; Translation: mountain; Notes: Sinai.
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links second command; Translation: and; Notes: coordinate structure.
  24. sanctifica — Lemma: sanctifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: sanctify; Notes: consecration required.
  25. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of sanctifica; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the mountain.

 

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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