Exodus 5:16

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:16 Paleæ non dantur nobis, et lateres similiter imperantur: en famuli tui flagellis cædimur, et iniuste agitur contra populum tuum.

Straw is not given to us, and bricks likewise are demanded; behold, your servants are beaten with whips, and it is acted unjustly against your people.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Paleæ straw NOM.PL.F
2 non not ADV
3 dantur are given 3PL.PRES.PASS.IND
4 nobis to us DAT.PL
5 et and CONJ
6 lateres bricks NOM.PL.M
7 similiter likewise ADV
8 imperantur are demanded 3PL.PRES.PASS.IND
9 en behold INTERJ
10 famuli servants NOM.PL.M
11 tui your GEN.SG.M
12 flagellis with whips ABL.PL.N
13 cædimur we are beaten 1PL.PRES.PASS.IND
14 et and CONJ
15 iniuste unjustly ADV
16 agitur it is acted 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
17 contra against PREP+ACC
18 populum people ACC.SG.M
19 tuum your ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main clause 1: Paleæ non dantur nobis — passive present expressing deprivation of materials.
Main clause 2: lateres similiter imperantur — parallel passive structure indicating continued demands.
Exclamatory interjection: en — draws Pharaoh’s attention.
Main clause 3: famuli tui flagellis cædimur — passive first-person plural emphasizing unjust suffering.
Impersonal passive: iniuste agitur — expresses general injustice.
Prepositional complement: contra populum tuum — identifies target of injustice.

Morphology

  1. Paleæ — Lemma: palea; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: straw; Notes: essential for brick-making.
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: standard negator.
  3. dantur — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: are given; Notes: passive construction highlights oppression.
  4. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to us; Notes: refers to Israelite laborers.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  6. lateres — Lemma: later; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of imperantur; Translation: bricks; Notes: production requirement.
  7. similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: manner; Function: modifies imperantur; Translation: likewise; Notes: parallels previous action.
  8. imperantur — Lemma: impero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: are demanded; Notes: expresses enforced quotas.
  9. en — Lemma: en; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: exclamatory; Function: calls attention; Translation: behold; Notes: strong rhetorical appeal.
  10. famuli — Lemma: famulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of cædimur; Translation: servants; Notes: humble self-description.
  11. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies famuli; Translation: your; Notes: emphasizes obligation of Pharaoh.
  12. flagellis — Lemma: flagellum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with whips; Notes: expresses means of punishment.
  13. cædimur — Lemma: cædo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: we are beaten; Notes: expresses continual suffering.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  15. iniuste — Lemma: iniuste; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: manner; Function: modifies agitur; Translation: unjustly; Notes: moral condemnation.
  16. agitur — Lemma: ago; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive indicative; Function: impersonal passive construction; Translation: it is acted; Notes: expresses general wrongdoing.
  17. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses opposition; Translation: against; Notes: adversative force.
  18. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: people; Notes: refers to Israel.
  19. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies populum; Translation: your; Notes: appeals to Pharaoh’s responsibility.

 

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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