Exodus 29:16

Posted on March 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 20:16 Quem cum mactaveris, tolles de sanguine eius, et fundes circa altare.

When you have slaughtered him, you shall take from his blood, and you shall pour it around the altar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quem whom PRON REL ACC.SG.M
2 cum when CONJ INDECL
3 mactaveris you have slaughtered VERB 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
4 tolles you shall take VERB 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
5 de from PREP+ABL INDECL
6 sanguine blood NOUN ABL.SG.M 3RD DECL
7 eius his PRON POSS GEN.SG.M
8 et and CONJ INDECL
9 fundes you shall pour VERB 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
10 circa around PREP+ACC INDECL
11 altare altar NOUN ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL

Syntax

Temporal Clause:
Quem cum mactaveris — cum + future perfect verb mactaveris expresses “when you have slaughtered him.”
Quem is the object of the action, pointing back to the ram in the previous verse.

Main Command 1:
tolles de sanguine eius — tolles is the main verb; de sanguine expresses source; eius modifies sanguine.

Main Command 2 (coordinated):
et fundes circa altare — fundes is coordinated by et; circa altare shows where the blood is poured.

Morphology

  1. Quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of mactaveris; Translation: whom; Notes: refers to the ram mentioned in the previous context.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause with future perfect; Translation: when; Notes: does not mean “with” here.
  3. mactaveris — Lemma: macto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative second person singular, 1st conjugation; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: you have slaughtered; Notes: expresses action completed prior to taking blood.
  4. tolles — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular, 3rd conjugation; Function: main command; Translation: you shall take; Notes: marks next stage after slaughter.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: common in sacrificial blood rites.
  6. sanguine — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of de; Translation: blood; Notes: refers to the blood of the slain ram.
  7. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies sanguine; Translation: his; Notes: refers to the ram’s blood.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links the two main actions; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates fundes with tolles.
  9. fundes — Lemma: fundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular, 3rd conjugation; Function: main verb of second command; Translation: you shall pour; Notes: describes ritual blood application.
  10. circa — Lemma: circa; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates spatial relation; Translation: around; Notes: specifies direction of pouring.
  11. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of circa; Translation: altar; Notes: central place of sacrificial rites.

 

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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