IN MEDIAS RES: Moses had to flee Egypt and is now living in the land of Midian (or Madian), having married a daughter of Jethro.
| post multum temporis mortuus est rex Aegypti |
mortuus est: s.v. morior rex Aegypti = Pharao |
| how much time passed before the death of Pharaoh? | |
| et ingemescentes filii Israhel propter opera vociferati sunt, |
ingemescentes: s.v. ingemesco (-sc verbs) ingemescentes...vociferati sunt: participle with verb Israhel: genitive singular (Hebrew names) opus: s.v. opus vociferati sunt: s.v. vociferor (deponent) |
| why were the Israelites complaining? | |
| ascenditque clamor eorum ad Deum ab operibus et audivit gemitum eorum |
operibus: s.v. opus audivit: Deus audivit |
| who heard the cries of the Israelites? | |
| ac recordatus foederis quod pepigerat cum Abraham et Isaac et Iacob respexit filios Israhel et cognovit eos. |
recordatus...respexit: participle
with verb recordatus: s.v. recordor (deponent); takes genitive foederis: s.v. foedus (genitive with recordatus) pepigerat: s.v. pango respexit: s.v. respicio cognovit: s.v. cognosco (-sc verbs) |
| why did God acknowledge the Israelites in Egypt? | |
| Moses autem pascebat oves Iethro, cognati sui, sacerdotis Madian, |
autem: postpositive Iethro: genitive singular (Hebrew names) oves: s.v. ovis sacerdotis: s.v. sacerdos Madian: genitive singular (Hebrew names) |
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what was Moses doing in Midian? |
| cumque minasset gregem ad interiora deserti, venit ad montem Dei Horeb. |
cum minasset: cum + subjunctive minasset = minavisset, s.v. mino. Lewis & Short: "From the application of the words minari and minae to the threatening cries of cattledrivers is doubtless derived the old rustic signif., also generally adopted in the postclass. per. into the literary lang.), to drive animals." Horeb: accusative (Hebrew names) |
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where did Moses go as he was herding the sheep? |
| apparuitque ei Dominus in flamma ignis de medio rubi |
apparuit: s.v. appareo rubi: s.v. rubus |
| where did God appear to Moses? | |
| et videbat quod rubus arderet et non conbureretur. |
videbat quod: note Jerome's "vulgar" use of quod, instead of the classical accusative+infinitive for indirect statement |
| what was strange about the burning bramblebush? | |
| dixit ergo Moses "vadam et videbo visionem hanc magnam, quare non conburatur rubus." |
ergo: postpositive quare non conburatur: subjunctive in indirect question |
| why did Moses decide to go look at the bush? | |
| cernens autem Dominus quod pergeret ad videndum vocavit eum de medio rubi et ait "Moses, Moses." qui respondit "adsum." |
autem: postpositive qui: relative pronoun at "beginning" of sentence (Moses)
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what did God do when he saw Moses coming? |
| at ille "ne adpropies" inquit "huc; solve calciamentum de pedibus tuis. |
ne adpropies: s.v. adpropio = adpropinquo inquit: postpositive |
| what did God tell Moses to do ? | |
| locus enim in quo stas terra sancta est." |
enim: postpositive |
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why did Moses have to take off his sandals? |
| et ait "ego sum Deus patris tui, Deus Abraham, Deus Isaac, Deus Iacob." |
Abraham...Isaac...Iacob: genitive singular (Hebrew names) |
| how did God announce himself to Moses? | |
| abscondit Moses faciem suam, non enim audebat aspicere contra Deum. |
faciem: s.v. facies enim: postpositive |
| why did Moses hide his face? | |
| cui ait Dominus "vidi adflictionem populi mei in Aegypto et clamorem eius audivi propter duritiam eorum qui praesunt operibus, |
cui: relative pronoun at "beginning" of sentence (Moses) eius = populi operibus: s.v. opus |
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whose suffering does God talk about? |
| et sciens dolorem eius descendi ut liberarem eum de manibus Aegyptiorum |
sciens...descendi: participle with verb ut liberarem: ut + subjunctive |
| why has God come down from heaven? | |
| et educerem de terra illa in terram bonam et spatiosam, in terram quae fluit lacte et melle." |
ut...educerem: ut + subjunctive in terram: in + accusative (preposition) lacte: s.v. lac |
| where is God going to take the Israelites? |
