Exodus 4:5

Posted on February 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 4:5 Ut credant, inquit, quod apparuerit tibi Dominus Deus patrum suorum, Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac, et Deus Iacob.

“That they may believe,” He said, “that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ut that CONJ.SUB
2 credant they may believe 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
3 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 quod that CONJ
5 apparuerit has appeared 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
6 tibi to you DAT.SG.2PRON
7 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
8 Deus God NOM.SG.M
9 patrum of the fathers GEN.PL.M
10 suorum their GEN.PL.M.ADJ
11 Deus God NOM.SG.M
12 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M
13 Deus God NOM.SG.M
14 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
15 et and CONJ
16 Deus God NOM.SG.M
17 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Purpose Clause:
Ut credant — “That they may believe.”
• Ut + subjunctive expresses intended purpose.
• credant = present subjunctive marking desired belief.

Parenthetical Speech:
inquit — “he said,” interrupting the clause structure and indicating divine explanation.

Content Clause:
quod apparuerit tibi Dominus — “that the LORD has appeared to you.”
• apparuerit = perfective sense (future perfect in form), marking completed divine revelation.
• Dominus = subject; rendered “LORD” (refers to YHWH).
• tibi = indirect object.

Appositional Titles:
Deus patrum suorum
Deus Abraham
Deus Isaac
et Deus Iacob
• A formal list identifying the covenantal God.

Morphology

  1. Ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Standard marker for intended outcome.
  2. credant — Lemma: credo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “they may believe”; Notes: Subjunctive fits intention rather than assertion.
  3. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: parenthetical verb of speaking; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common in quotations, interrupting syntax.
  4. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Used for reported content, not causation here.
  5. apparuerit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular future perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of content clause; Translation: “has appeared”; Notes: Future perfect with perfect sense, fitting biblical Latin style for completed divine actions.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks recipient of divine appearance.
  7. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun/title; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of apparuerit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Indicates YHWH.
  8. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: in apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Title identifying divine identity.
  9. patrum — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the fathers”; Notes: Refers to patriarchal lineage.
  10. suorum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies patrum; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to Israelites.
  11. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: start of appositional series; Translation: “God”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis in covenant naming.
  12. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: in apposition; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: First patriarch cited.
  13. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: repeated title; Translation: “God”; Notes: Introduces second patriarch’s relation.
  14. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Middle patriarch.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links final member; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard joining of final item.
  16. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: repeated title; Translation: “God”; Notes: Repetition reinforces covenant identity.
  17. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: final appositional member; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Completes patriarchal triad.

 

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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