Exodus 24:10

Posted on March 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 24:10 et viderunt Deum Israel: et sub pedibus eius quasi opus lapidis sapphirini, et quasi cælum, cum serenum est.

and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet was something like a work of sapphire stone, and like the heaven when it is clear.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 viderunt they saw 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Deum God ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 Israel Israel GEN.SG.M INDECL
5 et and CONJ
6 sub under PREP+ABL
7 pedibus feet ABL.PL.M 3RD DECL
8 eius his GEN.SG.M PRON PERS
9 quasi as if / like ADV
10 opus work NOM.SG.N 3RD DECL
11 lapidis of stone GEN.SG.M 3RD DECL
12 sapphirini of sapphire GEN.SG.M ADJ
13 et and CONJ
14 quasi as if / like ADV
15 cælum heaven / sky NOM.SG.N 2ND DECL
16 cum when CONJ
17 serenum clear NOM.SG.N ADJ
18 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Primary Action:
et viderunt Deum Israel — “And they saw the God of Israel.”
• viderunt = main verb.
• Deum Israel = direct object (“the God of Israel”).

Description Under His Feet:
et sub pedibus eius quasi opus lapidis sapphirini —
“And under His feet something like a work of sapphire stone.”
• sub pedibus = ablative of place.
• quasi opus = comparative “as if a work.”
• lapidis sapphirini = genitive phrase modifying opus.

Second Comparison:
et quasi cælum cum serenum est —
“and like the sky when it is clear.”
• quasi cælum = comparison.
• cum serenum est = temporal clause (“when it is clear”).

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links narrative clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  2. viderunt — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: they saw; Notes: refers to the theophany.
  3. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: God; Notes: object of viderunt.
  4. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: modifies Deum; Translation: of Israel; Notes: spelling preserved exactly from user input.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces second description; Translation: and; Notes: additive.
  6. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: under; Notes: describes divine throne imagery.
  7. pedibus — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, third declension; Function: object of sub; Translation: feet; Notes: anthropomorphic imagery.
  8. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: his; Notes: refers to God.
  9. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: comparative marker; Translation: as if / like; Notes: introduces visionary comparison.
  10. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, third declension; Function: predicate nominative after quasi; Translation: work; Notes: architectural/visual description.
  11. lapidis — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of material; Translation: of stone; Notes: specifies type of work.
  12. sapphirini — Lemma: sapphirinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies lapidis; Translation: of sapphire; Notes: denotes brilliant blue color.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds second comparative clause; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive.
  14. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: comparative marker; Translation: like; Notes: introduces another comparison.
  15. cælum — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, second declension; Function: subject of est; Translation: sky; Notes: represents clarity/purity.
  16. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: not prepositional here.
  17. serenum — Lemma: serenus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: complement; Translation: clear; Notes: matches cælum.
  18. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: is; Notes: descriptive.

 

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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