Exodus 23:25

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:25 Servietisque Domino Deo vestro, ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis, et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui.

And you shall serve the LORD your God, so that I may bless your bread and your waters, and I will remove sickness from your midst.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Servietisque and you shall serve 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
2 Dominō to the LORD DAT.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
3 Deō to God DAT.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
4 vestrō your DAT.SG.M ADJ POSS
5 ut so that CONJ
6 benedicam I may bless 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 panibus breads DAT.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
8 tuis your DAT.PL.M ADJ POSS
9 et and CONJ
10 aquis waters DAT.PL.F NOUN 3RD DECL
11 et and CONJ
12 auferam I will remove 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 infirmitatem sickness ACC.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
14 de from PREP+ABL
15 medio midst ABL.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
16 tui of you GEN.SG PRON PERS

Syntax

Main Clause:
Servietisque Dominō Deō vestrō — “And you shall serve the LORD your God.”
• Servietisque = future indicative + enclitic -que.
• Dominō Deō vestrō = coordinated double dative (indirect object).

Purpose Clause:
ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis — “so that I may bless your bread and your waters.”
• ut introduces the subjunctive.
• benedicam = subjunctive of purpose.
• panibus tuis … aquis = dative objects of benefit.

Second Coordinated Future Clause:
et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui — “and I will remove sickness from your midst.”
• auferam = future indicative.
• infirmitatem = direct object.
• de medio tui = ablative phrase of separation.

Morphology

  1. Servietisque — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person plural, with enclitic -que; Function: main verb of command; Translation: you shall serve; Notes: -que links this command to the following divine actions.
  2. Dominō — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine, second declension; Function: indirect object of servietis; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  3. Deō — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine, irregular second declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to God; Notes: placed in apposition to Dominō.
  4. vestrō — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deō / Dominō; Translation: your; Notes: plural possession by Israel.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: classical purpose marker.
  6. benedicam — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: I may bless; Notes: expresses intended divine action conditional on obedience.
  7. panibus — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine, third declension; Function: indirect object of benedicam; Translation: breads; Notes: represents food provision.
  8. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies panibus; Translation: your; Notes: possession by the people.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds aquis to the objects blessed; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive.
  10. aquis — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural feminine, first declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: waters; Notes: water supply as divine blessing.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links second divine action; Translation: and; Notes: introduces new future clause.
  12. auferam — Lemma: aufero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: verb of divine promise; Translation: I will remove; Notes: conveys definitive action.
  13. infirmitatem — Lemma: infirmitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: direct object of auferam; Translation: sickness; Notes: refers to disease or physical affliction.
  14. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces ablative of separation; Translation: from; Notes: expresses removal.
  15. medio — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of de; Translation: midst; Notes: geographical and communal center.
  16. tui — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: dependent genitive modifying medio; Translation: of you; Notes: indicates the community of Israel.

 

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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