Exodus 28:43

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:43 et utentur eis Aaron et filii eius quando ingredientur tabernaculum testimonii, vel quando appropinquant ad altare ut ministrent in sanctuario, ne iniquitatis rei moriantur. Legitimum sempiternum erit Aaron, et semini eius post eum.

and Aaron and his sons shall use them when they enter the tabernacle of testimony, or when they approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary, lest they die guilty of iniquity. It shall be an everlasting statute for Aaron and for his seed after him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ INDECL
2 utentur they shall use VERB 3 FUT DEP IND 3RD CONJ
3 eis them PRON PERS ABL PL N
4 Aaron Aaron NOUN NOM SG M INDECL
5 et and CONJ INDECL
6 filii sons NOUN NOM PL M 2ND DECL
7 eius his PRON PERS GEN SG M
8 quando when CONJ INDECL
9 ingredientur they enter VERB 3 FUT DEP IND 3RD CONJ
10 tabernaculum tabernacle NOUN ACC SG N 2ND DECL
11 testimonii of testimony NOUN GEN SG N 2ND DECL
12 vel or CONJ INDECL
13 quando when CONJ INDECL
14 appropinquant they approach VERB 3 PRES ACT IND 1ST CONJ
15 ad to PREP+ACC INDECL
16 altare altar NOUN ACC SG N 3RD DECL
17 ut to CONJ INDECL
18 ministrent they may minister VERB 3 PRES ACT SUBJ 1ST CONJ
19 in in PREP+ABL INDECL
20 sanctuario sanctuary NOUN ABL SG N 2ND DECL
21 ne lest CONJ INDECL
22 iniquitatis of iniquity NOUN GEN SG F 3RD DECL
23 rei guilty ADJ NOM PL M
24 moriantur they die VERB 3 PRES DEP SUBJ 3RD CONJ
25 Legitimum statute ADJ NOM SG N
26 sempiternum everlasting ADJ NOM SG N
27 erit it shall be VERB 3 FUT ACT IND IRREG
28 Aaron, for Aaron NOUN DAT SG M INDECL
29 et and CONJ INDECL
30 semini to the seed NOUN DAT SG N 3RD DECL
31 eius his PRON PERS GEN SG M
32 post after PREP+ACC INDECL
33 eum. him PRON PERS ACC SG M

Syntax

et utentur eis Aaron et filii eius is the main opening clause, with utentur as a deponent future verb taking the ablative eis.
Two temporal clauses follow:
(1) quando ingredientur tabernaculum testimonii — “when they enter the tabernacle of testimony,”
(2) quando appropinquant ad altare ut ministrent in sanctuario — “when they approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary.”
The clause ne iniquitatis rei moriantur gives the negative purpose — “lest they die guilty of iniquity.”
The final sentence Legitimum sempiternum erit Aaron et semini eius post eum declares the perpetual validity of the statute.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connective.
  2. utentur — Lemma: utor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person plural future deponent indicative, third conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall use”; Notes: deponent verb governing ablative.
  3. eis — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of deponent verb utentur; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to the linen undergarments.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable form); Function: subject; Translation: “Aaron”; Notes: Hebrew proper name.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  6. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine, second declension; Function: compound subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: sons of Aaron.
  7. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “his”; Notes: refers to Aaron.
  8. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: temporal marker.
  9. ingredientur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person plural future deponent indicative, third conjugation; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they enter”; Notes: deponent in form and meaning.
  10. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of ingredientur; Translation: “tabernacle”; Notes: sanctuary tent.
  11. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, second declension; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of testimony”; Notes: identifies sacred function.
  12. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates alternate temporal condition; Translation: “or”; Notes: disjunctive connector.
  13. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces second temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: temporal marker.
  14. appropinquant — Lemma: appropinquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative, first conjugation; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they approach”; Notes: present used generically.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object; Translation: “to”; Notes: direction marker.
  16. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: “altar”; Notes: altar of burnt offering.
  17. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that / to”; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  18. ministrent — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive, first conjugation; Function: purpose verb; Translation: “they may minister”; Notes: describes cultic service.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: spatial indication.
  20. sanctuario, — Lemma: sanctuarium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, second declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “sanctuary”; Notes: holy place.
  21. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces negative purpose; Translation: “lest”; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  22. iniquitatis — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: genitive of cause; Translation: “of iniquity”; Notes: the guilt incurred if rites are neglected.
  23. rei — Lemma: reus; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “guilty”; Notes: judicial terminology.
  24. moriantur. — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person plural present deponent subjunctive, third conjugation; Function: verb of negative purpose; Translation: “they die”; Notes: consequence avoided by obedience.
  25. Legitimum — Lemma: legitimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “a statute”; Notes: legal term.
  26. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies Legitimum; Translation: “everlasting”; Notes: emphasizes perpetuity.
  27. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “it shall be”; Notes: prescriptive future of law.
  28. Aaron, — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine (contextual); Function: indirect object; Translation: “for Aaron”; Notes: beneficiary of the statute.
  29. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links coordinated datives; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive connector.
  30. semini — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter, third declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the seed”; Notes: refers to Aaron’s descendants.
  31. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “his”; Notes: modifies semen.
  32. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: temporal phrase; Translation: “after”; Notes: sequence marker.
  33. eum. — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of post; Translation: “him”; Notes: refers to Aaron.

 

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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