Exodus 5:5

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 5:5 Dixitque Pharao: Multus est populus terræ: videtis quod turba succreverit: quanto magis si dederitis eis requiem ab operibus?

And Pharao said: “The people of the land are many; you see that the crowd has increased; how much more if you give them rest from their works?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M
3 Multus numerous NOM.SG.M
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 populus people NOM.SG.M
6 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F
7 videtis you see 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 quod that CONJ
9 turba the crowd NOM.SG.F
10 succreverit has increased 3SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
11 quanto how much ABL.SG.N
12 magis more ADV
13 si if CONJ
14 dederitis you give 2PL.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
15 eis to them DAT.PL
16 requiem rest ACC.SG.F
17 ab from PREP+ABL
18 operibus works ABL.PL.N

Syntax

Speech formula: Dixitque Pharao — introduces Pharaoh as speaker.
Assertion: Multus est populus terræ — predicate adjective Multus with subject populus.
Content clause: videtis quod turba succreverit — dependent clause introduced by quod.
Comparative rhetorical question: quanto magis si dederitis eis requiem ab operibus — conditional intensification (“how much more if…”).
Prepositional phrase: ab operibus — refers to forced labor.
Overall structure: Pharaoh argues that freeing Israel even briefly would worsen an already “too numerous” population.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: introduces speech; Translation: and he said; Notes: perfective narrative form.
  2. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: Egyptian monarch.
  3. Multus — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: numerous; Notes: describes populus.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: links subject and predicate.
  5. populus — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: people; Notes: refers to Israelite population.
  6. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies populus; Translation: of the land; Notes: genitive of location/association.
  7. videtis — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active indicative; Function: main verb addressing Moses and Aaron; Translation: you see; Notes: direct accusation.
  8. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: that; Notes: classical and biblical usage.
  9. turba — Lemma: turba; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of succreverit; Translation: the crowd; Notes: refers to Israel’s swelling numbers.
  10. succreverit — Lemma: succresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: has increased; Notes: future perfect used logically as perfect.
  11. quanto — Lemma: quantus; Part of Speech: interrogative adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of degree; Translation: how much; Notes: forms comparative expression.
  12. magis — Lemma: magis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: comparative; Function: intensifier; Translation: more; Notes: paired with quanto.
  13. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: if; Notes: hypothetical scenario.
  14. dederitis — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: you give; Notes: future perfect used for logical future.
  15. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: refers to Israelites.
  16. requiem — Lemma: requies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of dederitis; Translation: rest; Notes: refers to relief from forced labor.
  17. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation; Translation: from; Notes: prefixed form before vowels.
  18. operibus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of ab; Translation: works; Notes: enforced tasks of slavery.

 

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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