Exodus 23:17

Posted on March 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

17 Ter in anno apparebit omne masculinum tuum coram Domino Deo tuo.

Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ter three times ADV
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 anno year ABL.SG.M 3RD DECL
4 apparebit shall appear 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 omne all NOM.SG.N ADJ POS 3RD DECL
6 masculinum male NOM.SG.N ADJ POS 2ND DECL
7 tuum your NOM.SG.N POSS
8 coram before PREP+ABL
9 Domino LORD ABL.SG.M 2ND DECL
10 Deo God ABL.SG.M 2ND DECL
11 tuo your ABL.SG.M POSS

Syntax

Temporal Phrase:
Ter in anno — “three times in the year,” sets required frequency.

Main Clause:
apparebit omne masculinum tuum — “all your male shall appear.”
• omne masculinum tuum = collective subject (all your males).
• apparebit = legal future indicative functioning as command.

Prepositional Phrase:
coram Domino Deo tuo — “before the LORD your God.”
• Domino refers to YHWH (translated “LORD”).
• Hierarchical structure: “before the LORD, your God.”

Morphology

  1. Ter — Lemma: ter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: expresses frequency; Translation: three times; Notes: adverbial numeral.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: temporal reference; Translation: in; Notes: expresses time within which action occurs.
  3. anno — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: year; Notes: ablative of time when.
  4. apparebit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: shall appear; Notes: future used legally as command.
  5. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies masculinum; Translation: all; Notes: collective singular referring to a group.
  6. masculinum — Lemma: masculinus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject with omne; Translation: male; Notes: refers to male Israelites.
  7. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies masculinum; Translation: your; Notes: second-person possession.
  8. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates presence before one of higher rank; Translation: before; Notes: formal cultic term for appearing before deity.
  9. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  10. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: in apposition to Domino; Translation: God; Notes: reinforces divine identity.
  11. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deo; Translation: your; Notes: covenantal relationship.

 

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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