Exodus 19:4

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:4 Vos ipsi vidistis, quæ fecerim Ægyptiis, quo modo portaverim vos super alas aquilarum, et assumpserim mihi.

‘You yourselves have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, how I have carried you upon the wings of eagles, and have taken you to Myself.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vos you PRON.PERS.NOM.PL.M/F
2 ipsi yourselves PRON.EMPH.NOM.PL.M
3 vidistis you have seen 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 quæ what things PRON.REL.ACC.PL.N
5 fecerim I have done 1SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
6 Ægyptiis to the Egyptians NOUN.DAT.PL.M
7 quo in which / how ADV/REL
8 modo manner NOUN.ABL.SG.M
9 portaverim I have carried 1SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
10 vos you PRON.PERS.ACC.PL.M/F
11 super upon PREP+ACC
12 alas wings NOUN.ACC.PL.F
13 aquilarum of eagles NOUN.GEN.PL.F
14 et and CONJ
15 assumpserim I have taken up 1SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
16 mihi to myself PRON.PERS.DAT.SG.1

Syntax

Main Clause:
Vos ipsi vidistis — emphatic subject (“you yourselves”) + perfect verb.

Object Clause 1 (Indirect statement):
quæ fecerim Ægyptiis — introduced by relative quæ; subjunctive fecerim expresses what YHWH has done.

Comparative/Modal Clause:
quo modo portaverim vos super alas aquilarum — “how I have carried you,” second subjunctive of explanation.

Object Clause 2:
et assumpserim mihi — “and have taken you to myself.”

Morphology

  1. Vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative plural; Function: subject; Translation: you; Notes: paired with ipsi for emphasis.
  2. ipsi — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: emphatic pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: emphatic modifier; Translation: yourselves; Notes: heightens personal witness.
  3. vidistis — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: you have seen; Notes: direct eyewitness emphasis.
  4. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative object clause; Translation: what things; Notes: refers to divine actions.
  5. fecerim — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: in object clause after verb of perception; Translation: I have done; Notes: subjunctive of indirect discourse.
  6. Ægyptiis — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the Egyptians; Notes: recipients of divine judgment.
  7. quo — Lemma: quo; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces manner clause; Translation: how; Notes: modifies modo.
  8. modo — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: manner; Notes: paired with quo.
  9. portaverim — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: verb of manner clause; Translation: I have carried; Notes: metaphorical: eagle imagery.
  10. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object; Translation: you; Notes: refers to Israel.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: poetic elevation.
  12. alas — Lemma: ala; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: wings; Notes: metaphor of protection.
  13. aquilarum — Lemma: aquila; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possessive; Translation: of eagles; Notes: image of swift rescue.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: joins final divine act.
  15. assumpserim — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: second object clause; Translation: I have taken up; Notes: covenantal imagery.
  16. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular 1st person; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: to myself; Notes: expresses divine possession of Israel.

 

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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