Once again a post designed to aid those using this psalm series to learn or brush up their Latin - others can skip quickly past!
Grammar - the subjunctive mood
If you’ve been following the Simplicissimus introduction to Latin course (to download the materials see the link in the side bar on Latin resources) on a one unit a week basis since I started this psalm series (or have done some fast catching up), you should be up to Unit 6, which introduces the subjunctive mood.
There aren’t actually any examples of the present subjunctive in Psalm 114, but in the last post I gave the alternative formulation of the concluding verse from Psalm 55, which does use the subjunctive:
ut pláceam (second conjugation) coram Deo in lúmine vivéntium, or ‘so that I may please in the sight of God, in the light of the living’.
You might also recall the last verse of another psalm we have looked at in this series, Psalm 22:
Et ut inhábitem (first conjugation) in domo Dómini, in longitúdinem diérum = And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.
Vocabulary – the body
Psalm 114, like many of the psalms, makes reference to a number of body parts, so it might be helpful to bring together a number of the key words used in the psalms to refer (anthropomorphically) to God, to enemies, or to the speaker:
corpus –oris n body (doesn't actually occur in the pslams, but used in the Mass and NT in many places)
caro, carnis, f flesh; man, mankind; the body; every living being
caput, itis, n. the head,
Ps 3: et exáltans caput meum = and the lifter up of my head.
Ps 22: Impinguásti in óleo caput meum – You have anointed my head with oil
facies, ei, f. face, countenance, appearance; presence.
vultus, us, m., the face, countenance;
erubesco, riibui, ere 3, to redden or blush with shame, to feel ashamed
tempus, oris, n. the temples of the head
oculus, i, m the eye.
lacryma, ae, f, a tear
Ps 114: óculos meos a lácrimis – my eyes from tears
palpebra, ae, f. the eyelid..
(video, videre - to see)
auris, is, f the ear.
guttur, is, n., the throat
vox, vocis, f., the voice of a person, or, the sound of an instrument, thunder.
(audio, audire, to hear)
Ps 3: Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi – I have cried to the Lord with my voice
Ps 114: vocem oratiónis meæ = the voice of my prayer
labium, ii, n., a lip.
lingua, ae, f., the tongue;
dens, dentis, m. a tooth
Ps 3: dentes peccatórum contrivísti = You have broken the teeth of sinners
maxilla, ae, f. the jawbone, the jaw.
barba, ae, f, the beard
cor, cordis, n., the heart, regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind, the soul.
dexter, tera, terum; the right hand.
manus, us, f., hand
pes, pedis, m. the foot
Ps 114: pedes meos a lapsu = my feet from falling
lumbus, i, m.t the loin; pi. the loins, the reins
Vocabulary listing for Psalm 114
And here is the full vocabulary list for Psalm 114 in alphabetical order, based mainly on Britt’s Dictionary of the Psalter:
a, ab, from, by
anima ae f soul
auris, is, f. the ear.
benefacio, feci, factum, ere 3, to do well; to do good to, to deal kindly with, to deal bountifully
circumdo, dedi, datum, are, to surround, beset, encompass with a hostile intent; to gather round
converto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn, change, alter; refresh; bring back; convert, turn from sin;
custodio, ivi or ii, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep;to maintain, to hold steadfastly.
de about, concerning, down from
deprecatio, ois, f prayer, supplication, entreaty
dies, ei, m. and fem. a day, the natural day
diligo, lexi, lectum, ere 3 to love;to flatter, make pretence of loving.
dolor, oris, m. , pain whether of body or of mind, grief, sorrow, affliction.
dominus i m, lord
ego, mei, I, me
eripio, ripui, reptum, ere 3 to snatch away, to rescue, deliver
et, and
exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer.
humilio, avi, atum, are to humble, bring low.
in+ablative, in, on
inclino, avi, atum, are, to bend, incline
infernus, i, m. Sheol; the nether world, the underworld, the grave, the kingdom of the dead,
invenio, veni, ventum, ire, to find
invoco, avi, atum, are, to invoke, call upon (God); to put trust in
justus, a, um Of God: just; Of men: as a subst., a just man, the just.
lacryma, ae, f, a tear.
lapsus, us, m. slipping, a fall; a moral fall.
libero, avi, atum, are to free, set free, deliver
meus, a, um my, mine
misereor, sertus sum, eri 2 to pity, have mercy on.
misericors, cordis merciful, abounding in mercy.
mors, mortis, f., death
nomen, nominis, n name
noster, nostra, nostrum, our, ours
oculus, i, the eye..
oratio, onis, f. prayer, supplication
parvulus, a, um , small, little; children, little ones, the simple, the guileless,
periculum, i, n., peril, danger.
pes, pedis, m. the foot
placeo, ui, itum, ere 2, to please, be well pleasing to
quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
quoniam, conj., for, because, since, seeing that, whereas.
regio, onis, f, land, country.
requies, ei, f., rest; a resting-place.
tribulatio, onis, f. , trouble, distress, anguish, affliction, tribulation
tu, tui, you
vivus, a, um alive, living.
vox, vocis, f., the voice of a person, or, the sound of an instrument, thunder