Exodus 23:21

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:21 Observa eum, et audi vocem eius, nec contemnendum putes: quia non dimittet cum peccaveris, et est nomen meum in illo.

Observe Him, and listen to His voice, and do not think that He should be despised; for He will not pardon when you have sinned, and My name is in Him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Observa observe 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
2 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON PERS
3 et and CONJ
4 audi listen 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP.MOOD
5 vocem voice ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL
6 eius his GEN.SG.M PRON POSS
7 nec nor / and not CONJ
8 contemnendum to be despised ACC.SG.N GERUNDV
9 putes you should think 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 quia for / because CONJ
11 non not ADV
12 dimittet he will pardon 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 cum when CONJ
14 peccaveris you have sinned 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND
15 et and CONJ
16 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 nomen name NOM.SG.N 3RD DECL
18 meum My NOM.SG.N POSS
19 in in PREP+ABL
20 illo him ABL.SG.M PRON DEM

Syntax

Imperative Chain:
Observa eum — “Observe Him.”
et audi vocem eius — “and listen to His voice.”
• Two direct commands directed to Israel.
• eum and vocem eius = direct objects.

Subjunctive Prohibition:
nec contemnendum putes — “and do not think that He is to be despised.”
• contemnendum = gerundive of obligation/passivity.
• putes = subjunctive in prohibition.

Causal Clause:
quia non dimittet cum peccaveris — “for He will not pardon when you have sinned.”
• dimittet = future indicative.
• peccaveris = future perfect, subordinate to dimittet.

Final Clause:
et est nomen meum in illo — “and My name is in Him.”
• nomen meum = subject + possessive.
• in illo = locative/identity relation.

Morphology

  1. Observa — Lemma: observo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: observe; Notes: divine directive.
  2. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: him; Notes: refers to the Angel.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links commands; Translation: and; Notes: coordination.
  4. audi — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: listen; Notes: calls for obedience.
  5. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: voice; Notes: refers to Angel’s speech.
  6. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun (possessive); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies vocem; Translation: his; Notes: dependent genitive.
  7. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces prohibition; Translation: nor / and not; Notes: negative continuation.
  8. contemnendum — Lemma: contemno; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: complement of putes; Translation: to be despised; Notes: expresses undesirability of action.
  9. putes — Lemma: puto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 2nd singular; Function: verb of prohibition; Translation: you should think; Notes: subjunctive softens forbiddance.
  10. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: for; Notes: explains prohibition.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: negates dimittet.
  12. dimittet — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: he will pardon; Notes: legal consequence.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: not a preposition here.
  14. peccaveris — Lemma: pecco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, 2nd singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: you have sinned; Notes: precedence of action before refusal to pardon.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces final assertion; Translation: and; Notes: heightens importance.
  16. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: is; Notes: expresses identity.
  17. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: name; Notes: divine name as essence/authority.
  18. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies nomen; Translation: My; Notes: divine ownership.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: expresses indwelling presence.
  20. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: him; Notes: refers again to the Angel.

 

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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