Exodus 13:20

Posted on March 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 13:20 Profectique de Socoth castrametati sunt in Etham in extremis finibus solitudinis.

And having set out from Socoth, they encamped in Etham, in the farthest borders of the wilderness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Profectique and having set out PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.PL.M + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 de from PREP+ABL
3 Socoth Succoth NOUN.ABL.SG.F (indeclinable form)
4 castrametati they encamped PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.PL.M
5 sunt they were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 Etham Etham NOUN.ABL.SG.F (indeclinable form)
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 extremis farthest ADJ.ABL.PL.M/F/N
10 finibus borders NOUN.ABL.PL.M
11 solitudinis of the wilderness NOUN.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Participial opening: Profectique de Socoth — perfect deponent participle with -que linking to previous narrative; de Socoth expresses origin “from Succoth.”
Main clause: castrametati sunt — deponent verb in perfect periphrasis (“they encamped”).
Locative expressions: in Etham gives location; in extremis finibus solitudinis specifies the remoteness of that location.

Morphology

  1. Profectique — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: perfect participle nominative plural masculine + enclitic -que; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the subject; Translation: “and having set out”; Notes: links motion to subsequent encamping.
  2. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: marks point of departure.
  3. Socoth — Lemma: Socoth; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine (indeclinable form); Function: object of de; Translation: “Succoth”; Notes: place-name in the Exodus route.
  4. castrametati — Lemma: castrametor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate participle with sunt; Translation: “encamped”; Notes: military-flavored term.
  5. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb (auxiliary); Form: present active indicative third person plural; Function: auxiliary of deponent perfect; Translation: “they were”; Notes: forms periphrastic perfect.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: introduces location.
  7. Etham — Lemma: Etham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: object of in; Translation: “Etham”; Notes: desert region.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces second locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: repeated preposition for emphasis.
  9. extremis — Lemma: extremus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies finibus; Translation: “farthest”; Notes: expresses remoteness.
  10. finibus — Lemma: finis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “borders”; Notes: territorial boundaries.
  11. solitudinis — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying finibus; Translation: “of the wilderness”; Notes: identifies the desolate region.

 

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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