Exodus 21:5

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:5 Quod si dixerit servus: Diligo dominum meum et uxorem ac liberos, non egrediar liber:

But if the servant will have said: “I love my lord and my wife and children; I will not go out free;”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod but if CONJ INDECL
2 si if CONJ INDECL
3 dixerit will have said 3SG.FUTP.ACT.SUBJ VERB
4 servus servant NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
5 Diligo I love 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND VERB
6 dominum lord ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL NOUN
7 meum my ACC.SG.M POSS ADJ
8 et and CONJ INDECL
9 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL NOUN
10 ac and CONJ INDECL
11 liberos children ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL NOUN
12 non not ADV INDECL
13 egrediar I will go out 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND VERB
14 liber free NOM.SG.M ADJ

Syntax

Conditional Protasis:
Quod si — compound conditional connector introducing a new hypothetical case.
servus — subject of the conditional clause.
dixerit — future perfect subjunctive verb (“will have said”), expressing a future hypothetical statement.

Quoted Direct Speech:
Diligo — first person singular main verb (“I love”).
dominum meum — direct object with possessive (“my lord”).
uxorem ac liberos — additional direct objects governed by the same verb (“my wife and children”).

Declaration of Intent:
non — negator modifying the following verb.
egrediar — future indicative first person (“I will not go out”).
liber — predicate adjective describing the manner of going out (“free”).

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a new conditional case; Translation: but if; Notes: common in legal Latin to open a secondary hypothetical provision.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: conditional marker; Translation: if; Notes: reinforces the protasis already begun by quod.
  3. dixerit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: verb of the conditional clause; Translation: will have said; Notes: future perfect subjunctive expresses a future hypothetical with completed action.
  4. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: subject of dixerit; Translation: servant; Notes: refers to the Hebrew bondservant of the legal passage.
  5. Diligo — Lemma: diligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of direct speech; Translation: I love; Notes: expresses the servant’s stated affection as grounds for refusing freedom.
  6. dominum — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: direct object of Diligo; Translation: lord; Notes: human master, so translated as “lord,” not “LORD.”
  7. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies dominum; Translation: my; Notes: signals personal loyalty.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates direct objects; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  9. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine 3rd declension; Function: coordinated direct object; Translation: wife; Notes: repeats the household relationship theme.
  10. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: strengthens coordination; Translation: and; Notes: slightly emphatic compared to *et*.
  11. liberos — Lemma: liber (liberi); Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: children; Notes: legal term for offspring in household contexts.
  12. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: strong negation of servant’s intent to leave.
  13. egrediar — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb of decision statement; Translation: I will go out; Notes: deponent form with active translation; expresses formal refusal to leave in seventh year.
  14. liber — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: free; Notes: marks the legal status he declines.

 

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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