Exodus 4:12

Posted on February 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:12 Perge igitur, et ego ero in ore tuo: doceboque te quid loquaris.

Go therefore, and I will be in your mouth, and I will teach you what you shall speak.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Perge go on 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 igitur therefore ADV
3 et and CONJ
4 ego I NOM.SG.PRON
5 ero I will be 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 ore mouth ABL.SG.N
8 tuo your ABL.SG.N.ADJ
9 doceboque and I will teach 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
10 te you ACC.SG.PRON
11 quid what ACC.SG.N.INTERROG
12 loquaris you may speak 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP

Syntax

Main Imperative:
Perge igitur — “Go therefore.”
• Perge commands Moses to proceed.
• igitur marks logical consequence.

Divine Assurance:
et ego ero in ore tuo — “and I will be in your mouth.”
• Idiom meaning God will guide Moses’ speech.
• in ore tuo = ablative of location.

Second Divine Promise:
doceboque te quid loquaris
• doceboque = future + enclitic -que.
• quid loquaris = indirect question with present subjunctive.

Morphology

  1. Perge — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active imperative; Function: command to continue; Translation: “go on”; Notes: Verbal root indicates forward movement.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: logical connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks conclusion drawn from prior dialogue.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple additive.
  4. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Stressed subject indicates divine involvement.
  5. ero — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular future active indicative; Function: expresses divine promise; Translation: “I will be”; Notes: Future tense emphasizes continuing support.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Stands in idiomatic phrase for speech-guidance.
  7. ore — Lemma: os; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “mouth”; Notes: Ablative of location.
  8. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies ore; Translation: “your”; Notes: Possessive adjective in agreement.
  9. doceboque — Lemma: doceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular future active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: divine promise of instruction; Translation: “and I will teach”; Notes: Future indicates ongoing divine provision of speech.
  10. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “you”; Notes: Moses as recipient of divine teaching.
  11. quid — Lemma: quis/quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “what”; Notes: Object of loquaris.
  12. loquaris — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd singular present subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “you shall speak”; Notes: Subjunctive required in indirect question.

 

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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