Exodus 3:5

Posted on February 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 3:5 At ille: Ne appropies, inquit, huc: solve calceamentum de pedibus tuis: locus enim, in quo stas, terra sancta est.

But he said: “Do not approach here; remove the sandal from your feet, for the place in which you stand is holy ground.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M DEM
3 Ne do not NEG.PART
4 appropies approach 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 inquit he says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 huc here ADV
7 solve remove 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 calceamentum sandal ACC.SG.N
9 de from PREP+ABL
10 pedibus feet ABL.PL.M
11 tuis your ABL.PL.M POSS
12 locus the place NOM.SG.M
13 enim for ADV
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 quo in which ABL.SG.M REL
16 stas you stand 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 terra ground NOM.SG.F
18 sancta holy NOM.SG.F ADJ
19 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Speech Introduction:
At ille … inquit — “But he said”
• At introduces contrast with prior scene.
• ille = the speaker (the LORD).
• inquit = historic present introducing direct speech.

First Command (Negative):
Ne appropies huc — “Do not approach here.”
• Ne + subjunctive (appropies) = prohibition.
• huc = directional adverb (“toward here”).

Second Command:
solve calceamentum de pedibus tuis — “remove the sandal from your feet.”
• solve = imperative.
• calceamentum = direct object.
• de pedibus tuis = ablative of separation.

Explanatory Clause:
locus enim, in quo stas, terra sancta est — “for the place in which you stand is holy ground.”
• locus = subject.
• in quo stas = relative clause modifying locus.
• terra sancta = predicate nominative.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast or shift; Translation: “but”; Notes: Often marks divine response or correction.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to the LORD speaking.
  3. Ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: negative particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces prohibition; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Requires subjunctive in commands.
  4. appropies — Lemma: appropio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of prohibition; Translation: “approach”; Notes: Subjunctive because of ne.
  5. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “he says/said”; Notes: Traditional narrative speech marker.
  6. huc — Lemma: huc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “here”; Notes: Means “to this place.”
  7. solve — Lemma: solvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: “remove”; Notes: Strong directive from the LORD.
  8. calceamentum — Lemma: calceamentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of solve; Translation: “sandal”; Notes: Refers to leather footwear.
  9. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Expected with removal verbs.
  10. pedibus — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: “feet”; Notes: Ablative of separation.
  11. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies pedibus; Translation: “your”; Notes: Matches case and number of the noun.
  12. locus — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the sacred spot of the theophany.
  13. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: “for”; Notes: Gives the reason for the commands.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative here; Function: introduces spatial phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: With ablative indicates location.
  15. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “in which”; Notes: Agrees with locus.
  16. stas — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you stand”; Notes: Marks Moses’ physical presence on holy ground.
  17. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “ground/earth”; Notes: Identifies the essential quality of the location.
  18. sancta — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “holy”; Notes: Marks the divine presence.
  19. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Asserts the sacred state of the ground.

 

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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