Exodus 23:23

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:23 Præcedetque te Angelus meus, et introducet te ad Amorrhæum, et Hethæum, et Pherezæum, Chananæumque, et Hevæum, et Iebusæum, quos ego conteram.

And My Angel will go before you, and will bring you to the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Chananite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, whom I will crush.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Præcedetque will go before 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 te you ACC.SG PRON PERS
3 Angelus Angel NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
4 meus my NOM.SG.M ADJ POSS
5 et and CONJ
6 introducet will bring in 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 te you ACC.SG PRON PERS
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 Amorrhæum Amorite ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
10 et and CONJ
11 Hethæum Hittite ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
12 et and CONJ
13 Pherezæum Perizzite ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
14 Chananæumque the Canaanite ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
15 et and CONJ
16 Hevæum Hivite ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
17 et and CONJ
18 Iebusæum Jebusite ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
19 quos whom ACC.PL.M PRON REL
20 ego I NOM.SG PRON PERS
21 conteram I will crush 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1:
Præcedetque te Angelus meus — “And My Angel will go before you.”
• Angelus meus = subject (nominative).
• Præcedetque = future indicative main verb, with enclitic -que linking to the next clause.
• te = direct object (“you”).

Main Clause 2:
et introducet te ad Amorrhæum, et Hethæum, et Pherezæum, Chananæumque, et Hevæum, et Iebusæum — “and He will bring you to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.”
• introducet = future indicative.
• te = direct object.
• ad + the series of accusative peoples gives the goal of entry.

Relative Clause:
quos ego conteram — “whom I will crush.”
• quos = relative pronoun referring back to all listed nations.
• ego = emphatic subject.
• conteram = future indicative expressing promised judgment.

Morphology

  1. Præcedetque — Lemma: praecedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 3rd person singular, with enclitic -que; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: will go before; Notes: -que (“and”) is attached enclitically, coordinating this clause with what follows.
  2. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of Præcedetque; Translation: you; Notes: refers corporately to Israel.
  3. Angelus — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of Præcedetque; Translation: Angel; Notes: divine messenger who leads and protects.
  4. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies Angelus; Translation: My; Notes: stresses that the Angel belongs to and represents God.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates the second main clause with the first; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive link.
  6. introducet — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: will bring in / will bring; Notes: describes the Angel’s role in bringing Israel into the land.
  7. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of introducet; Translation: you; Notes: again refers collectively to the people.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: to; Notes: introduces the series of nations as destinations.
  9. Amorrhæum — Lemma: Amorrhæus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: the Amorite; Notes: first of the listed Canaanite peoples.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the next nation to the list; Translation: and; Notes: paratactic listing.
  11. Hethæum — Lemma: Hethæus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: coordinated object with Amorrhæum; Translation: the Hittite; Notes: second nation in the sequence.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds another item in the list; Translation: and; Notes: continues the catalogue.
  13. Pherezæum — Lemma: Pherezæus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: coordinated object; Translation: the Perizzite; Notes: third nation named.
  14. Chananæumque — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension, with enclitic -que; Function: coordinated object in the list; Translation: the Canaanite; Notes: enclitic -que links this name especially closely with the preceding group.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds another people; Translation: and; Notes: continues coordination.
  16. Hevæum — Lemma: Hevæus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: coordinated object; Translation: the Hivite; Notes: part of the Canaanite population.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the final nation; Translation: and; Notes: introduces the last item in the chain.
  18. Iebusæum — Lemma: Iebusæus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: coordinated object; Translation: the Jebusite; Notes: associated with Jerusalem (Jebus).
  19. quos — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of conteram; Translation: whom; Notes: gathers all the previously listed nations into one relative clause.
  20. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of conteram; Translation: I; Notes: explicitly marks God as the actor, adding emphasis.
  21. conteram — Lemma: contero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: I will crush; Notes: strong verb of destruction, expressing decisive divine judgment on the nations.

 

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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