Exodus. Filia Pharaonis et Moses.

Brief Comments on the Latin:

[Note: You will find other helpful information by looking at the segmented text, which shows clearly how the sentences and clauses are organized. You can also choose to have the verbs and/or bold speech highlighted, which often makes the Latin easier to understand.]

1:15. The antecedent of quarum is obstetrices.

1:16. Partus is in the genitive here, with tempus ("time of birth"). Note the parallel construction: si masculus fuerit interficite illum and si femina [fuerit] reservate [illam].

1:17. The dictionary form of mares is mas (mares is accusative plural).

1:18. Quibus accersitis is an ablative absolute; se refers to the subject of the main verb, rex. Latin often uses the relative pronoun, quibus, to join together what would be two separate sentences in English: "(and) when they had been summoned..."

1:19. Latin often uses the relative pronoun, quae, to join together what would be two separate sentences in English: "(and) they answered..."

1:22. Sexus is in the genitive singular ("whatever of masculine gender"). Note the paralle construction: quicquid masculini sexus naturm fuerit proicite and [quicquid] feminei [sexus natum fuerit] reservate.

2:1. Haec is neuter plural ("after these things [had happened]"). Levi is a Hebrew name and does not decline; here it is in the genitive ("house of Levi" = a Levite). Accepta uxore is ablative absolute.

2:2. There is an implied esse: "seeing he [was] exceptional."

2:3. Intus is an adverb.

2:4. Stante sorore... et considerante is an ablative absolute.

2:5. The word puella is used here in the sense of slave, slave-girl. Latin often uses a relative pronoun, quae, to join together what would be two separate sentences in English: "(and) when she saw..." To understand the adlatam you need the aperiens of the following verse.

2:6. The object of aperiens is the fiscellam adlatam from the previous verse, "she opened the basket which had been fetched..." The full form of miserta is miserita. The verb misereor takes a genitive object (eius). The verb inquit is being used postpositively here to indicate direct speech.

2:7. Latin often uses a relative pronoun, cui, to join together what would be two separate sentences in English: "(and) the boy's sister said to her..."

2:9. There is an implied est for the locuta. Puerum is the object of both accipe et nutri. The verb ait is being used postpositively here to indicate direct speech.

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