Exodus 25:3

Posted on March 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 25:3 Hæc sunt autem quæ accipere debeatis: Aurum, et argentum, et æs,

These are the things that you shall receive: gold, and silver, and bronze,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these things NOM.PL.N.PRON.DEM
2 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 autem however ADV
4 quæ which NOM.PL.N.PRON.REL
5 accipere to receive INF.PRES.ACT
6 debeatis you ought 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 Aurum gold ACC.SG.N.NOUN.2ND DECL
8 et and CONJ
9 argentum silver ACC.SG.N.NOUN.2ND DECL
10 et and CONJ
11 æs bronze ACC.SG.N.NOUN.3RD DECL

Syntax

Main narrative sequence: Hæc sunt introduces the list of required offerings.
Contrastive marker: autem shifts attention to the specific items.
Relative clause: quæ accipere debeatis defines what Israel must receive.
Infinitive clause: accipere depends on debeatis, forming “you ought to receive.”
List of objects: Aurum, et argentum, et æs enumerates the materials required for the sanctuary.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: these things; Notes: neuter plural referring to items listed after.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third plural present active indicative; Function: links subject and predicate; Translation: are; Notes: simple existential statement.
  3. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: contrastive marker; Translation: however; Notes: shifts emphasis to the list.
  4. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of subordinate clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to hæc.
  5. accipere — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with debeatis; Translation: to receive; Notes: expresses required action.
  6. debeatis — Lemma: debeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second plural present active subjunctive; Function: obligation in subordinate clause; Translation: you ought; Notes: subjunctive required after quæ introducing indirect obligation.
  7. Aurum — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of implied “receive”; Translation: gold; Notes: first item in the list.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links items.
  9. argentum — Lemma: argentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: coordinated object; Translation: silver; Notes: second material listed.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links final item.
  11. æs — Lemma: aes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter (indeclinable in biblical usage); Function: final coordinated object; Translation: bronze; Notes: third material in the sanctuary offering list.

 

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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