Exodus 30:6

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:6 Ponesque altare contra velum, quod ante arcum pendet testimonii coram propitiatorio quo tegitur testimonium, ubi loquar tibi.

And you shall place the altar before the veil, which hangs before the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat with which the testimony is covered, where I will speak to you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ponesque and you shall place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 altare the altar ACC.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
3 contra before / opposite PREP+ACC INDECL
4 velum the veil ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
5 quod which NOM.SG.N PRON REL
6 ante before PREP+ACC INDECL
7 arcum the ark ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
8 pendet hangs 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND 2ND CONJ
9 testimonii of the testimony GEN.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
10 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL INDECL
11 propitiatorio the mercy-seat ABL.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
12 quo with which ABL.SG.N PRON REL
13 tegitur is covered 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND 3RD CONJ
14 testimonium the testimony NOM.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
15 ubi where ADV REL INDECL
16 loquar I will speak 1SG.FUT.SUBJ.DEP DEP (loquor)
17 tibi to you DAT.SG PRON PERS

Syntax

Main Command: Ponesque altare contra velum — instruction to place the incense altar directly before the inner veil.
Relative Clause 1: quod ante arcum pendet testimonii — describes the veil as hanging before the Ark of the Testimony.
Prepositional Phrase: coram propitiatorio — indicates the position relative to the mercy-seat.
Relative Clause 2: quo tegitur testimonium — clarifies that the mercy-seat covers the testimony (the tablets).
Locative/Relative Clause: ubi loquar tibi — God indicates the location from which He will communicate.

Morphology

  1. Ponesque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second singular with enclitic -que; Function: main command; Translation: and you shall place; Notes: continues detailed liturgical instructions.
  2. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: the altar; Notes: refers to the incense altar.
  3. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses placement opposite; Translation: before; Notes: directional placement.
  4. velum — Lemma: velum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of contra; Translation: the veil; Notes: inner sanctuary veil.
  5. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of subordinate clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to veil.
  6. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses position; Translation: before; Notes: indicates veil’s placement.
  7. arcum — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ante; Translation: the ark; Notes: the Ark of the Testimony.
  8. pendet — Lemma: pendeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: hangs; Notes: describes veil’s physical orientation.
  9. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies arca; Translation: of the testimony; Notes: refers to covenant tablets.
  10. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates presence before; Translation: before; Notes: ceremonial spatial term.
  11. propitiatorio — Lemma: propitiatorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of coram; Translation: the mercy-seat; Notes: cover of the Ark.
  12. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with which; Notes: refers to mercy-seat.
  13. tegitur — Lemma: tego; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive indicative third singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: is covered; Notes: describes the mercy-seat covering the testimonium.
  14. testimonium — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of tegitur; Translation: the testimony; Notes: refers to the tablets within the Ark.
  15. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb (relative); Form: invariable; Function: introduces locative clause; Translation: where; Notes: designates divine meeting-place.
  16. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: future subjunctive first singular; Function: verb of locative clause; Translation: I will speak; Notes: divine promise of revelation.
  17. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: addressed to Moses.

 

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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