Exodus 2:14

Posted on February 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 2:14 Qui respondit: Quis te constituit principem et iudicem super nos? num occidere me tu vis, sicut heri occidisti Ægyptium? Timuit Moyses, et ait: Quomodo palam factum est verbum istud?

He answered: “Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me, as yesterday you killed the Egyptian?” Moyses was afraid and said: “How has this matter been made known?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.SG.M REL
2 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Quis who NOM.SG.M INTERROG
4 te you ACC.SG PRON
5 constituit appointed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 principem ruler ACC.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 iudicem judge ACC.SG.M
9 super over PREP+ACC
10 nos us ACC.PL PRON
11 num surely not? PART.INTERROG
12 occidere to kill PRES.ACT.INF
13 me me ACC.SG PRON
14 tu you NOM.SG PRON
15 vis want 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 sicut just as CONJ
17 heri yesterday ADV
18 occidisti you killed 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 Ægyptium Egyptian ACC.SG.M
20 Timuit Moses feared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
22 et and CONJ
23 ait said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
24 Quomodo how ADV.INTERROG
25 palam openly / publicly ADV
26 factum made NOM.SG.N PERF.PASS.PART
27 est is / has been 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
28 verbum matter / word NOM.SG.N
29 istud this NOM.SG.N DEM

Syntax

Opening Relative Clause:
Qui respondit — “who answered,” referring to the Hebrew aggressor confronted by Moses.

Main Interrogative Sentence:
Quis te constituit principem et iudicem super nos?
• Double predicate accusatives: principem, iudicem.
• super nos = authority over the group.
• Rhetorical challenge to Moses’ legitimacy.

Second Question (introduced by num):
num occidere me tu vis…? — expects the answer “no.”
• occidere = complementary infinitive.
• Contrasts “me” with “Ægyptium.”

Temporal Clause:
sicut heri occidisti Ægyptium — “as yesterday you killed the Egyptian.”
• Points to Moses’ previously hidden act.

Resumption of Main Narrative:
Timuit Moyses — “Moses was afraid.”
• Emotional reaction from exposure.

Direct Question of Moses:
Quomodo palam factum est verbum istud? — “How has this matter become known?”
• palam factum est = passive periphrastic sense: “has been made public.”

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to the Hebrew who was doing wrong.
  2. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “answered”; Notes: Introduces his challenge to Moses.
  3. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: opens question; Translation: “who”; Notes: Demands authority basis.
  4. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “constituit”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Moses as challenged leader.
  5. constituit — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of appointment; Translation: “appointed”; Notes: This question anticipates future themes of Moses’ calling.
  6. principem — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “ruler”; Notes: Implies leadership over Hebrews.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links accusatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple linker.
  8. iudicem — Lemma: iudex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “judge”; Notes: Adds judicial role.
  9. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses authority; Translation: “over”; Notes: Used for rulership.
  10. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of super; Translation: “us”; Notes: The Hebrew people addressed.
  11. num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: particle; Form: interrogative; Function: expects “no” answer; Translation: “surely not?”; Notes: Adds tone of incredulity.
  12. occidere — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary to vis; Translation: “to kill”; Notes: Echoes previous homicide.
  13. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of occidere; Translation: “me”; Notes: Contrasts with previous Egyptian victim.
  14. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of vis; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphatic form.
  15. vis — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “want”; Notes: Expresses intention or desire.
  16. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Sets analogy to past act.
  17. heri — Lemma: heri; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “yesterday”; Notes: Marks the time of Moses’ secret action.
  18. occidisti — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “you killed”; Notes: Reveals Moses’ deed is known.
  19. Ægyptium — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun/adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of occidisti; Translation: “Egyptian”; Notes: Identifies slain oppressor.
  20. Timuit — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “feared”; Notes: Reaction of exposure.
  21. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Timuit and ait; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: His fear drives later flight.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects fear and speech.
  23. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: introduces Moses’ speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common speech verb.
  24. Quomodo — Lemma: quomodo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: interrogative; Function: opens question; Translation: “how”; Notes: Expresses alarm at exposure.
  25. palam — Lemma: palam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies factum est; Translation: “openly / publicly”; Notes: Indicates that secrecy failed.
  26. factum — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate with est; Translation: “made”; Notes: Passive sense: “has become.”
  27. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: completes passive construction; Translation: “is / has been”; Notes: Forms perfect passive.
  28. verbum — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “matter / word”; Notes: Here meaning “report” or “affair.”
  29. istud — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies verbum; Translation: “this”; Notes: Often implies something near to the speaker in thought or relevance.

 

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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