Exodus 24:16

Posted on March 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 24:16 et habitavit gloria Domini super Sinai, tegens illum nube sex diebus: septimo autem die vocavit eum de medio caliginis.

and the glory of the LORD dwelt upon Sinai, covering it with a cloud for six days; and on the seventh day He called him from the midst of the gloom.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 habitavit dwelt 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 gloria glory NOM.SG.F 1ST DECL
4 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
5 super upon PREP+ACC
6 Sinai Sinai ACC.SG.M INDECL
7 tegens covering PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.F
8 illum it ACC.SG.M PRON DEM
9 nube with a cloud ABL.SG.F 3RD DECL
10 sex six INDECL.NUM
11 diebus days ABL.PL.M 5TH DECL
12 septimo seventh ABL.SG.M ADJ
13 autem however ADV
14 die day ABL.SG.M 5TH DECL
15 vocavit he called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON PERS
17 de from PREP+ABL
18 medio midst ABL.SG.N 2ND DECL
19 caliginis of the gloom GEN.SG.F 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main Clause 1:
et habitavit gloria Domini super Sinai —
“And the glory of the LORD dwelt upon Sinai.”
• habitavit = main verb.
• gloria Domini = subject + genitive.
• super Sinai = location of divine presence.

Participial Modifier:
tegens illum nube sex diebus —
“covering it with a cloud for six days.”
• tegens = circumstantial participle.
• illum = refers to the mountain.
• nube = ablative of means.
• sex diebus = ablative of time.

Main Clause 2:
septimo autem die vocavit eum —
“but on the seventh day He called him.”
• vocavit = main verb.
• eum = Moses.

Prepositional Phrase:
de medio caliginis —
“from the midst of the gloom.”
• describes the source of the divine voice.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links narrative units; Translation: and; Notes: standard connective.
  2. habitavit — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: dwelt; Notes: expresses settled divine presence.
  3. gloria — Lemma: gloria; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: glory; Notes: theological term for divine manifestation.
  4. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: indicates resting presence.
  6. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: object of super; Translation: Sinai; Notes: preserved as written.
  7. tegens — Lemma: tego; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies gloria; Translation: covering; Notes: ongoing action simultaneous with habitavit.
  8. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of tegĕns; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the mountain.
  9. nube — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with a cloud; Notes: manifestation of divine glory.
  10. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies diebus; Translation: six; Notes: cardinal number.
  11. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: days; Notes: duration.
  12. septimo — Lemma: septimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: temporal marker; Translation: seventh; Notes: ordinal.
  13. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: mild contrast; Translation: however; Notes: transitional.
  14. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: day; Notes: temporal specification.
  15. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: he called; Notes: divine summons.
  16. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of vocavit; Translation: him; Notes: Moses.
  17. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: origin of the call.
  18. medio — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: midst; Notes: spatial description.
  19. caliginis — Lemma: caligo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies medium; Translation: of the gloom; Notes: describes divine mystery.

 

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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