Exodus 31:17

Posted on March 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 31:17 inter me et filios Israel, signumque perpetuum. sex enim diebus fecit Dominus cælum et terram, et in septimo ab opere cessavit.

between Me and the sons of Israel, and it is a perpetual sign. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh He ceased from work.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 inter between PREP+ACC INDECL
2 me me ACC.SG.1ST.PERS PRON
3 et and CONJ INDECL
4 filios sons ACC.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
5 Israel of Israel GEN.SG.M NOUN INDECL
6 signumque and sign NOM.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL + ENCLITIC -QUE
7 perpetuum perpetual NOM.SG.N ADJ POS
8 sex six INDECL NUM
9 enim for CONJ INDECL
10 diebus days ABL.PL.M NOUN 5TH DECL
11 fecit made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
12 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
13 cælum heaven ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
14 et and CONJ INDECL
15 terram earth ACC.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL
16 et and CONJ INDECL
17 in in PREP+ABL INDECL
18 septimo seventh ABL.SG.M ADJ POS
19 ab from PREP+ABL INDECL
20 opere work ABL.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
21 cessavit He ceased 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ

Syntax

Prepositional Covenant Phrase: inter me et filios Israel — defines the covenant partners.
Nominative Unit: signum perpetuum — identifies the sabbath as a perpetual sign.
Causal Clause: sex enim diebus fecit Dominus cælum et terram — grounds the covenant in creation.
Temporal Clause: in septimo ab opere — the seventh day as cessation point.
Main Verb: cessavit — divine rest, basis for sabbath theology.

Morphology

  1. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses relationship; Translation: between; Notes: introduces covenantal participants.
  2. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of inter; Translation: me; Notes: refers to the LORD.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates members; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  4. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: second object of inter; Translation: sons; Notes: collective reference to Israel.
  5. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive by position; Translation: of Israel; Notes: Biblical proper name.
  6. signumque — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: and (a) sign; Notes: enclitic -que connects with preceding covenant phrase.
  7. perpetuum — Lemma: perpetuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective modifying signum; Translation: perpetual; Notes: stresses unending duration.
  8. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies diebus; Translation: six; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  9. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: for; Notes: marks causal grounding.
  10. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: days; Notes: creation time period.
  11. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: made; Notes: creation act.
  12. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  13. cælum — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of fecit; Translation: heaven; Notes: part of creation pair.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates objects; Translation: and; Notes: connects heaven and earth.
  15. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: coordinated object; Translation: earth; Notes: completes creation pair.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces new clause; Translation: and; Notes: links creation with divine rest.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: temporal; Translation: in; Notes: marks seventh day.
  18. septimo — Lemma: septimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies die (implicit); Translation: seventh; Notes: ordinal number.
  19. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation; Translation: from; Notes: marks cessation origin.
  20. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of ab; Translation: work; Notes: refers to creative labor.
  21. cessavit — Lemma: cessō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: He ceased; Notes: expresses divine rest after creation.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.