Exodus 3:6

Posted on February 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 3:6 Et ait: Ego sum Deus patris tui, Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac, et Deus Iacob. Abscondit Moyses faciem suam: non enim audebat aspicere contra Deum.

And he said: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moyses hid his face, for he did not dare to look toward God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Ego I NOM.SG PRON
4 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 Deus God NOM.SG.M
6 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
7 tui your GEN.SG.M POSS
8 Deus God NOM.SG.M
9 Abraham Abraham GEN.SG.M PROPER
10 Deus God NOM.SG.M
11 Isaac Isaac GEN.SG.M PROPER
12 et and CONJ
13 Deus God NOM.SG.M
14 Iacob Jacob GEN.SG.M PROPER
15 Abscondit hid 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M PROPER
17 faciem face ACC.SG.F
18 suam his ACC.SG.F POSS
19 non not ADV
20 enim for ADV
21 audebat he dared 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
22 aspicere to look PRES.ACT.INF
23 contra toward PREP+ACC
24 Deum God ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Divine Identification:
Ego sum Deus patris tui, Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac, et Deus Iacob
• Ego sum = emphatic divine self-revelation formula.
• Deus patris tui = “the God of your father,” beginning a triadic patriarchal formula.
• Repetition of Deus before each patriarch intensifies solemnity and covenantal continuity.

Narrative Result:
Abscondit Moyses faciem suam — “Moses hid his face.”
• Moyses = subject.
• Abscondit = perfect (completed reaction).
• faciem suam = direct object.

Explanatory Clause:
non enim audebat aspicere contra Deum — “for he did not dare to look toward God.”
• audebat = imperfect, expressing habitual/ongoing hesitation.
• aspicere = complementary infinitive.
• contra Deum = directional accusative (“toward God”).

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links divine speech to prior narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective in narrative flow.
  2. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces divine speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Frequent biblical dialogue verb.
  3. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: explicit subject for emphasis; Translation: “I”; Notes: Marks a formal divine self-declaration.
  4. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular present active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: “am”; Notes: Used in divine identity statements.
  5. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “God”; Notes: Title of divinity.
  6. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies Deus; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Part of familial identification.
  7. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Moses’ lineage.
  8. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: repeated predicate nominative; Translation: “God”; Notes: Emphasizes covenantal identity.
  9. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of Abraham”; Notes: First patriarch.
  10. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: repeated predicate nominative; Translation: “God”; Notes: Continues the formula.
  11. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive; Translation: “of Isaac”; Notes: Second patriarch.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links final name; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective.
  13. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “God”; Notes: Third repetition of divine title.
  14. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive; Translation: “of Jacob”; Notes: Third patriarch.
  15. Abscondit — Lemma: abscondo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: initiates reaction; Translation: “hid”; Notes: Instantaneous response of reverence.
  16. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of abscondit; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Human actor reacting to divine presence.
  17. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “face”; Notes: Sign of reverence and fear.
  18. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies faciem; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Moses.
  19. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates audebat; Translation: “not”; Notes: Marks the reason for hiding his face.
  20. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces reason; Translation: “for”; Notes: Explanatory marker.
  21. audebat — Lemma: audeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he dared”; Notes: Imperfect emphasizes repeated or continuous reluctance.
  22. aspicere — Lemma: aspicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to look”; Notes: Dependent on audebat.
  23. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Shows orientation of vision.
  24. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: “God”; Notes: The divine presence Moses cannot directly behold.

 

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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