Exodus 23:30

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 23:30 Paulatim expellam eos de conspectu tuo, donec augearis, et possideas Terram.

Little by little I will drive them out from your sight, until you grow, and you possess the Land.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Paulatim little by little ADV
2 expellam I will drive out 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 eos them ACC.PL.M PRON PERS
4 de from PREP+ABL
5 conspectu sight ABL.SG.M NOUN 4TH DECL
6 tuo your ABL.SG.M ADJ POSS
7 donec until CONJ
8 augearis you grow 2SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
9 et and CONJ
10 possideas you possess 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 Terram the Land ACC.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL

Syntax

Main Clause:
Paulatim expellam eos de conspectu tuo — “Little by little I will drive them out from your sight.”
• Paulatim = adverb marking gradual action.
• expellam = future indicative expressing divine promise.
• eos = direct object (the nations).
• de conspectu tuo = ablative of separation, “from your sight/presence.”

Temporal Clause:
donec augearis — “until you grow.”
• donec introduces a subjunctive of anticipated result.
• augearis = passive in form but middle/reflexive in sense (“be increased / grow”).

Coordinated Clause:
et possideas Terram — “and you possess the Land.”
• possideas = present subjunctive after donec.
• Terram = object of possession, here the promised Land.

Morphology

  1. Paulatim — Lemma: paulatim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies expellam; Translation: little by little; Notes: expresses gradual divine action.
  2. expellam — Lemma: expello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: I will drive out; Notes: expresses future divine intervention.
  3. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: refers to hostile nations.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: from; Notes: common with verbs of removal.
  5. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, fourth declension; Function: object of de; Translation: sight; Notes: can mean “presence.”
  6. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies conspectu; Translation: your; Notes: refers to Israel.
  7. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: until; Notes: frequently followed by subjunctive in future sense.
  8. augearis — Lemma: augeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive, second person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: you grow; Notes: passive form used reflexively for “increase.”
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links temporal and result clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  10. possideas — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, second person singular; Function: coordinated verb depending on donec; Translation: you possess; Notes: subjunctive expresses anticipated future possession.
  11. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object of possideas; Translation: the Land; Notes: refers to the promised land.

 

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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