Exodus 19:1

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:1 Mense tertio egressionis Israel de Terra Ægypti, in die hac venerunt in solitudinem Sinai.

In the third month of the departure of Israel from the Land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Mense in the month NOUN.ABL.SG.M
2 tertio third ADJ.ABL.SG.M
3 egressionis of the departure NOUN.GEN.SG.F
4 Israel of Israel NOUN.GEN.SG.M
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 Terra the land NOUN.ABL.SG.F
7 Ægypti of Egypt NOUN.GEN.SG.F
8 in on PREP+ABL
9 die day NOUN.ABL.SG.F
10 hac this PRON.DEM.ABL.SG.F
11 venerunt they came 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
12 in into PREP+ACC
13 solitudinem wilderness NOUN.ACC.SG.F
14 Sinai Sinai NOUN.GEN.SG.M (INDECL)

Syntax

Temporal Ablative Phrase:
Mense tertio egressionis Israel — “in the third month of the departure of Israel,” ablative of time + genitive of specification.

Source Phrase:
de Terra Ægypti — “from the land of Egypt.”

Additional Temporal Marker:
in die hac — “on this day,” specifying the exact date.

Main Clause:
venerunt in solitudinem Sinai — subject implied (“they,” the Israelites), perfect verb, destination with in + accusative.

Morphology

  1. Mense — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: in the month; Notes: temporal framework.
  2. tertio — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies mense; Translation: third; Notes: ordinal for dating.
  3. egressionis — Lemma: egressio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of description; Translation: of the departure; Notes: refers to the Exodus.
  4. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable with Latin case endings); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies egressionis; Translation: of Israel; Notes: ethnic designation.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: marks origin point of journey.
  6. Terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: land; Notes: geographic reference.
  7. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possession; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: dependent on terra.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: temporal; Translation: on; Notes: in die hac.
  9. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: day; Notes: specifies the exact day.
  10. hac — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies die; Translation: this; Notes: emphasizes immediacy.
  11. venerunt — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they came; Notes: narrative perfect.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: into; Notes: directional phrase.
  13. solitudinem — Lemma: solitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: wilderness; Notes: indicates destination.
  14. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable in Latin); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent on solitudinem; Translation: of Sinai; Notes: location name, treated as genitive.

 

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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