Exodus 32:8

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:8 Recesserunt cito de via, quam ostendisti eis: feceruntque sibi vitulum conflatilem, et adoraverunt, atque immolantes ei hostias, dixerunt: Isti sunt dii tui Israel, qui te eduxerunt de Terra Ægypti.

They have quickly turned aside from the way which you showed to them; and they made for themselves a molten calf, and they adored it, and sacrificing victims to it, they said: ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of the Land of Egypt.’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Recesserunt they turned aside 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
2 cito quickly ADV INDECL
3 de from PREP+ABL INDECL
4 via the way ABL.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL
5 quam which ACC.SG.F PRON REL
6 ostendisti you showed 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
7 eis to them DAT.PL.M PRON PERS
8 feceruntque and they made 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND +QUE 3RD CONJ
9 sibi for themselves DAT.SG.M/F/N PRON REFL
10 vitulum a calf ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
11 conflatilem molten ACC.SG.M ADJ POS
12 et and CONJ INDECL
13 adoraverunt they adored 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
14 atque and moreover CONJ INDECL
15 immolantes sacrificing NOM.PL.M PTCP.PRES.ACT 1ST CONJ
16 ei to it DAT.SG.M PRON PERS
17 hostias victims ACC.PL.F NOUN 1ST DECL
18 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
19 Isti these NOM.PL.M PRON DEM
20 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG
21 dii gods NOM.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
22 tui your NOM.PL.M POSS.ADJK
23 Israel Israel VOC.SG.M NOUN INDECL
24 qui who NOM.PL.M PRON REL
25 te you ACC.SG PRON PERS
26 eduxerunt brought out 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
27 de from PREP+ABL INDECL
28 Terra the land ABL.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL
29 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL

Syntax

Main Clause 1:
Recesserunt cito de via — “they quickly turned aside from the way.”
Includes ablative of separation (de via).

Relative Clause:
quam ostendisti eis — modifies via; Moses showed them the proper path.

Main Clause 2:
fecerunt sibi vitulum conflatilem — reflexive dative sibi = “for themselves.”

Coordinated Actions:
adoraverunt (they adored)
immolantes hostias (sacrificing victims)
All directed “to it” (ei).

Main Clause 3:
dixerunt introduces direct speech.

Quoted Declaration:
Isti sunt dii tui, Israel — formula of idolatrous proclamation.

Relative Clause:
qui te eduxerunt de Terra Ægypti — blasphemous re-assignment of the Exodus to idols.

Morphology

  1. Recesserunt — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they turned aside; Notes: expresses swift apostasy.
  2. cito — Lemma: cito; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: quickly; Notes: stresses speed of their fall.
  3. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation; Translation: from; Notes: standard ablative construction.
  4. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: the way; Notes: metaphor for obedience.
  5. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: agrees with via.
  6. ostendisti — Lemma: ostendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative second singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: you showed; Notes: Moses as the guide.
  7. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: refers to Israel.
  8. feceruntque — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they made; Notes: marks new action.
  9. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: for themselves; Notes: self-directed idolatry.
  10. vitulum — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: calf; Notes: golden idol.
  11. conflatilem — Lemma: conflatilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies vitulum; Translation: molten; Notes: references metalwork casting.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins verbs; Translation: and; Notes: coordination marker.
  13. adoraverunt — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they adored; Notes: worship act.
  14. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: intensifying connector; Translation: and moreover; Notes: stronger than et.
  15. immolantes — Lemma: immolo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: sacrificing; Notes: expresses accompanying action.
  16. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to it; Notes: refers to the calf.
  17. hostias — Lemma: hostia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: victims; Notes: sacrificial offerings.
  18. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: introduces speech; Translation: they said; Notes: formulaic proclamation.
  19. Isti — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: these; Notes: emphatic demonstrative.
  20. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third plural; Function: copula; Translation: are; Notes: literal identification.
  21. dii — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: gods; Notes: plural reflecting idolatry.
  22. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies dii; Translation: your; Notes: addressed to Israel.
  23. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular; Function: direct address; Translation: Israel; Notes: invariable form.
  24. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: agrees with dii.
  25. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of eduxerunt; Translation: you; Notes: direct object.
  26. eduxerunt — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: predicate of the relative clause; Translation: brought out; Notes: falsely attributing Exodus to idols.
  27. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces origin; Translation: from; Notes: ablative of separation.
  28. Terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: the land; Notes: geographic specification.
  29. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: specifies the land; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: standard genitive of place.

 

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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