Exodus 21:3

Posted on March 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 21:3 Cum quali veste intraverit, cum tali exeat: si habens uxorem, et uxor egredietur simul.

With whatever clothing he shall have entered, with the same he shall go out; if he has a wife, his wife shall go out together with him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum with PREP+ABL
2 quali what sort of ADJ.ABL.SG.F/ M/N.INDECL
3 veste garment NOUN.ABL.SG.F.3RD DECL
4 intraverit he shall have entered 3SG.FUTP.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
5 cum with PREP+ABL
6 tali such ADJ.ABL.SG.F/M/N.POS
7 exeat he shall go out 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT.3RD CONJ
8 si if CONJ
9 habens having PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
10 uxorem wife NOUN.ACC.SG.F.3RD DECL
11 et and CONJ
12 uxor wife NOUN.NOM.SG.F.3RD DECL
13 egredietur she will go out 3SG.FUT.DEP.IND.3RD CONJ
14 simul together ADV.INDECL

Syntax

Clause 1: Cum quali veste (ablative phrase) + intraverit (verb) expresses the manner of entry.
Clause 2: Cum tali (ablative phrase) + exeat (verb) expresses the corresponding manner of exit.
Clause 3 (conditional): si habens uxorem (condition) + uxor egredietur simul (main clause) expresses the legal consequence concerning his wife.
The sentence outlines matching entrance/exit conditions and an additional conditional provision.

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces ablative of accompaniment/manner; Translation: “with”; Notes: First of two parallel phrases.
  2. quali — Lemma: qualis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular; Function: modifies veste; Translation: “what sort of”; Notes: Indicates the type of clothing.
  3. veste — Lemma: vestis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: “garment”; Notes: Ablative of accompaniment/manner.
  4. intraverit — Lemma: intro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future perfect active indicative, 3rd conjugation; Function: verb of first clause; Translation: “he shall have entered”; Notes: Perfective aspect anticipating the exit condition.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces contrastive parallel phrase; Translation: “with”; Notes: Mirrors the first cum phrase.
  6. tali — Lemma: talis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of cum; Translation: “such”; Notes: Correlates with quali.
  7. exeat — Lemma: exeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of second clause; Translation: “he shall go out”; Notes: Subjunctive expressing legal stipulation.
  8. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces condition; Translation: “if”; Notes: Marks new legal scenario.
  9. habens — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: modifies implied subject; Translation: “having”; Notes: Indicates possession at time of condition.
  10. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object of habens; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Object of participle.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connective.
  12. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: subject of egredietur; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Introduces legal consequence for spouse.
  13. egredietur — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 3rd person singular future indicative; Function: verb of main clause; Translation: “she will go out”; Notes: Deponent form, active meaning.
  14. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies egredietur; Translation: “together”; Notes: Emphasizes joint departure.

 

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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