Exodus 6:9

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 6:9 Narravit ergo Moyses omnia filiis Israel: qui non acquieverunt ei propter angustiam spiritus, et opus durissimum.

And Moyses related all things to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to him because of anguish of spirit and the very hard labor.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Narravit he related 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
4 omnia all things ACC.PL.N
5 filiis to the sons DAT.PL.M
6 Israel Israel DAT.SG.M (INDECL.)
7 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL.PRON
8 non not ADV
9 acquieverunt they listened / yielded 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
11 propter because of PREP+ACC
12 angustiam anguish ACC.SG.F
13 spiritus of spirit GEN.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 opus work ACC.SG.N
16 durissimum very hard ACC.SG.N.ADJ.SUPERL

Syntax

Main clause: Narravit ergo Moyses omnia filiis Israel — perfect active verb with subject Moyses, direct object omnia, and indirect object filiis Israel.
Relative clause: qui non acquieverunt ei — describes Israel’s response; perfect act. indicates decisive refusal.
Causal phrase: propter angustiam spiritus — expresses internal emotional distress.
Coordinated external cause: et opus durissimum — the oppressive labor further prevented listening.

Morphology

  1. Narravit — Lemma: narro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he related; Notes: frames Moses’ communication to Israel.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: signals logical consequence; Translation: therefore; Notes: transitions from previous divine speech.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: agent of reporting.
  4. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/substantive; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: all things; Notes: refers to the entirety of YHWH’s message.
  5. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the sons; Notes: identifies recipients.
  6. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: modifies filiis; Translation: Israel; Notes: collective ethnonym.
  7. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of subordinate clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers to the sons of Israel.
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: total negation.
  9. acquieverunt — Lemma: acquiesco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: they listened / they yielded; Notes: implies refusal rather than mere failure to hear.
  10. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Moses.
  11. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses cause; Translation: because of; Notes: causal preposition.
  12. angustiam — Lemma: angustia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of propter; Translation: anguish; Notes: expresses internal distress.
  13. spiritus — Lemma: spiritus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies angustiam; Translation: of spirit; Notes: identifies inward discouragement.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins internal and external causes; Translation: and; Notes: coordinating link.
  15. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: second object under propter (understood); Translation: work; Notes: refers to the forced labor of Egypt.
  16. durissimum — Lemma: durus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies opus; Translation: very hard; Notes: expresses extreme harshness.

 

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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