Exodus 5:22

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:22 Reversusque est Moyses ad Dominum, et ait: Domine, cur afflixisti populum istum? quare misisti me?

And Moyses returned to the LORD and said: “Lord, why have You afflicted this people? why have You sent me?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Reversusque and having returned NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART + -QUE
2 est was / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Dominum the LORD ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 ait he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
9 cur why INTERROG.ADV
10 afflixisti you have afflicted 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 populum people ACC.SG.M
12 istum this ACC.SG.M.DEMONSTR
13 quare why INTERROG.ADV
14 misisti you have sent 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 me me ACC.SG

Syntax

Main clause: Reversusque est Moyses ad Dominum — perfect participle + est forming a perfect passive construction meaning “returned,” directed toward the LORD.
Coordinated clause: et ait — introduces Moses’ speech.
Direct speech:
• Domine, cur afflixisti populum istum? — vocative address followed by an interrogative clause.
• quare misisti me? — second interrogative clause expressing complaint or bewilderment.

Morphology

  1. Reversusque — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle with enclitic -que; Function: part of the periphrastic verb; Translation: and having returned; Notes: deponent in form but active in meaning.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb completing periphrastic construction; Translation: has / was; Notes: forms perfect with participle.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of reversus est; Translation: Moses; Notes: central narrative agent.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: directional; Translation: to; Notes: marks direction of movement.
  5. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH → rendered “LORD.”
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links actions; Translation: and; Notes: narrative connector.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: introduces speech; Translation: he said; Notes: common verb of speaking.
  8. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: Lord; Notes: here not YHWH but a form of respectful address → “Lord.”
  9. cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Function: introduces question; Translation: why; Notes: signals complaint.
  10. afflixisti — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of question; Translation: you have afflicted; Notes: expresses protest.
  11. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of afflixisti; Translation: people; Notes: refers to Israel.
  12. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies populum; Translation: this; Notes: expresses emotional distance or frustration.
  13. quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Function: introduces second question; Translation: why; Notes: often interchangeable with cur but slightly more formal.
  14. misisti — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of question; Translation: you have sent; Notes: expresses frustration with divine commission.
  15. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of misisti; Translation: me; Notes: emphasizes Moses’ personal struggle.

 

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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