Exodus 3:1

Posted on February 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 3:1 Moyses autem pascebat oves Iethro soceri sui sacerdotis Madian: cumque minasset gregem ad interiora deserti, venit ad montem Dei Horeb.

But Moyses was pasturing the sheep of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Madian; and when he had driven the flock to the inner parts of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M PROPER
2 autem but ADV
3 pascebat was pasturing 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
4 oves sheep ACC.PL.F
5 Iethro Jethro DAT.SG.M PROPER
6 soceri of the father-in-law GEN.SG.M
7 sui his GEN.SG.M PRON
8 sacerdotis priest GEN.SG.M
9 Madian Midian GEN.SG.M PROPER
10 cumque and when CONJ
11 minasset had driven 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
12 gregem the flock ACC.SG.M
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 interiora inner parts ACC.PL.N
15 deserti of the desert GEN.SG.N
16 venit came 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 ad to PREP+ACC
18 montem mountain ACC.SG.M
19 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
20 Horeb Horeb ACC.SG.M PROPER

Syntax

Main Clause:
Moyses autem pascebat oves Iethro soceri sui sacerdotis Madian
• Moyses = subject.
• pascebat = imperfect, ongoing shepherding activity.
• oves = direct object.
• Iethro soceri sui sacerdotis Madian = extended genitive chain describing Moses’ father-in-law.

Subordinate Temporal Clause:
cumque minasset gregem ad interiora deserti
• cumque introduces circumstantial clause.
• minasset = pluperfect subjunctive, prior action (“after he had driven”).
• ad interiora deserti = destination.

Main Result Clause:
venit ad montem Dei Horeb
• venit = perfect, completed arrival.
• ad montem Dei = direction to sacred mountain.
• Horeb = apposition naming the mountain.

Morphology

  1. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Central narrative figure.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative connector; Translation: “but”; Notes: Marks narrative transition.
  3. pascebat — Lemma: pasco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “was pasturing”; Notes: Implies continuous or habitual shepherding.
  4. oves — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “sheep”; Notes: Standard livestock term.
  5. Iethro — Lemma: Iethro; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect reference in genitive chain (“of Jethro”); Translation: “Jethro”; Notes: Moses’ father-in-law.
  6. soceri — Lemma: socer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: defines relationship; Translation: “of the father-in-law”; Notes: Part of extended genitive chain.
  7. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies soceri; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Moses.
  8. sacerdotis — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: apposition describing Jethro; Translation: “(the) priest”; Notes: Adds Jethro’s social role.
  9. Madian — Lemma: Madian; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies sacerdotis; Translation: “of Midian”; Notes: Identifies region of priestly service.
  10. cumque — Lemma: cumque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal/circumstantial clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines cum + -que.
  11. minasset — Lemma: mino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of cum-clause; Translation: “had driven”; Notes: Classical verb meaning “to drive cattle” here.
  12. gregem — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of minasset; Translation: “the flock”; Notes: Refers to the animals entrusted to Moses.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates directional movement.
  14. interiora — Lemma: interior; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: “inner parts”; Notes: Refers to deeper regions of the wilderness.
  15. deserti — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies interiora; Translation: “of the desert”; Notes: Locative genitive describing the wilderness.
  16. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of resulting action; Translation: “came”; Notes: Marks arrival at sacred location.
  17. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces goal of movement.
  18. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Refers to the theophanic mountain.
  19. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies montem; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Marks the mountain as sacred.
  20. Horeb — Lemma: Horeb; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: apposition to montem Dei; Translation: “Horeb”; Notes: Specific holy mountain where the LORD appears.

 

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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