Exodus 8:20

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:20 Dixit quoque Dominus ad Moysen: Consurge diluculo, et sta coram Pharaone: egredietur enim ad aquas: et dices ad eum: Hæc dicit Dominus: Dimitte populum meum ut sacrificet mihi.

And the LORD also said to Moyses: “Rise early, and stand before Pharao; for he will go out to the water, and you shall say to him: ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let my people go, that they may sacrifice to me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 Consurge rise 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
7 diluculo early ABL.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 sta stand 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
10 coram before PREP+ABL
11 Pharaone Pharaoh ABL.SG.M
12 egredietur he will go out 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND
13 enim for ADV
14 ad to PREP+ACC
15 aquas the waters ACC.PL.F
16 et and CONJ
17 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 ad to PREP+ACC
19 eum him ACC.SG.M
20 Hæc these things NOM.PL.N/DemPron
21 dicit says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
22 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
23 Dimitte let go 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
24 populum people ACC.SG.M
25 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS
26 ut so that CONJ
27 sacrificet may sacrifice 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
28 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P

Syntax

Main narrative clause:
• Subject: Dominus
• Verb: Dixit quoque
• Indirect object: ad Moysen

Command sequence:
1. Consurge diluculo — imperative + adverbial ablative
2. sta coram Pharaone — imperative + prepositional phrase

Explanatory clause:
• egredietur enim ad aquas — future action of Pharaoh

Speech command:
• et dices ad eum — Moses must deliver message

Oracle formula:
• Hæc dicit Dominus — prophetic citation formula

Main demand:
• Dimitte populum meum — imperative + object
• Purpose clause: ut sacrificet mihi

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main reporting verb; Translation: said; Notes: standard narrative formula.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: marks continuation.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks addressee; Translation: to; Notes: frequent in speech formulas.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: Moses; Notes: recipient of divine command.
  6. Consurge — Lemma: consurgo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: rise; Notes: urgency of timing.
  7. diluculo — Lemma: diluculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of time; Translation: early; Notes: denotes early dawn.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins commands; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  9. sta — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: stand; Notes: physical confrontation before Pharaoh.
  10. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: before; Notes: direct presence.
  11. Pharaone — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: denotes physical proximity.
  12. egredietur — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: future indicative 3rd singular; Function: predicted action; Translation: he will go out; Notes: deponent in form but active meaning.
  13. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: gives explanation; Translation: for; Notes: explanatory connective.
  14. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: indicates destination.
  15. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: waters; Notes: Nile-bound activity.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: introduces instruction; Translation: and; Notes: continuation.
  17. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active 2nd singular; Function: command phrased as future; Translation: you shall say; Notes: prophetic certainty.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Function: marks addressee; Translation: to; Notes: repeated for clarity.
  19. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Pharaoh.
  20. Hæc — Lemma: hic (pronoun); Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: these things; Notes: introduces proclamation.
  21. dicit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: reporting verb; Translation: says; Notes: divine speech marker.
  22. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dicit; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  23. Dimitte — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: direct command; Translation: let go; Notes: repeated refrain in Exodus.
  24. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: people; Notes: covenant community.
  25. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies populum; Translation: my; Notes: divine ownership.
  26. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: so that; Notes: typical with subjunctive.
  27. sacrificet — Lemma: sacrifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: purpose clause verb; Translation: may sacrifice; Notes: religious purpose.
  28. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to me; Notes: indicates recipient of worship.

 

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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