Exodus 19:5

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:5 Si ergo audieritis vocem meam, et custodieritis pactum meum, eritis mihi in peculium de cunctis populis: mea est enim omnis terra.

If therefore you will hear My voice, and will keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a special possession out of all peoples: for all the earth is Mine.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 audieritis you will hear 2PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
4 vocem voice NOUN.ACC.SG.F
5 meam my PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.F
6 et and CONJ
7 custodieritis you will keep 2PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
8 pactum covenant NOUN.ACC.SG.N
9 meum my PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.N
10 eritis you shall be 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
11 mihi to me PRON.PERS.DAT.SG.1
12 in in PREP+ACC
13 peculium a special possession NOUN.ACC.SG.N
14 de from / out of PREP+ABL
15 cunctis all ADJ.ABL.PL.M
16 populis peoples NOUN.ABL.PL.M
17 mea my PRON.POSS.NOM.SG.F
18 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
19 enim for CONJ
20 omnis all ADJ.NOM.SG.F
21 terra earth NOUN.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Conditional Protasis:
Si ergo audieritis vocem meam, et custodieritis pactum meum — future-perfect forms expressing a condition to be fulfilled.

Main Apodosis:
eritis mihi in peculium — “you shall be to me a special possession,” with mihi as dative of advantage.

Prepositional Phrase of Separation:
de cunctis populis — “out of all peoples.”

Explanatory Clause:
mea est enim omnis terra — “for all the earth is mine,” grounding the covenant claim.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces condition; Translation: if; Notes: begins protasis.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: inferential marker; Translation: therefore; Notes: links with prior verse.
  3. audieritis — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: first verb of protasis; Translation: you will hear; Notes: covenantal obedience formula.
  4. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: voice; Notes: refers to divine command.
  5. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies vocem; Translation: my; Notes: agrees in gender and number.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links conditions; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates protasis verbs.
  7. custodieritis — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: second verb of condition; Translation: you will keep; Notes: emphasizes faithful observance.
  8. pactum — Lemma: pactum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of custodieritis; Translation: covenant; Notes: refers to Sinai covenant.
  9. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies pactum; Translation: my; Notes: agreement in gender and number.
  10. eritis — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: you shall be; Notes: covenant identity promise.
  11. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular 1st person; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: to me; Notes: God claims Israel.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses result; Translation: in / as; Notes: introduces predicate accusative.
  13. peculium — Lemma: peculium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: special possession; Notes: technical covenant term.
  14. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation; Translation: from/out of; Notes: contrasts Israel with nations.
  15. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies populis; Translation: all; Notes: distributive sense.
  16. populis — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: peoples; Notes: nations of the world.
  17. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: my; Notes: asserts divine ownership.
  18. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: simple assertion.
  19. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: explanatory; Translation: for; Notes: grounds covenant claim.
  20. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: all; Notes: totality.
  21. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject complement; Translation: earth; Notes: universal dominion.

 

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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