Exodus 31:18

Posted on March 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 31:18 Deditque Dominus Moysi, completis huiuscemodi sermonibus in monte Sinai, duas tabulas testimonii lapideas, scriptas digito Dei.

And the LORD gave to Moyses, when these kinds of words were completed on Mount Sinai, two tablets of the testimony, stone tablets, written by the finger of God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Deditque and gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
3 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M NOUN INDECL
4 completis with … completed ABL.PL.N PTCP PERF.PASS 3RD CONJ
5 huiuscemodi of this kind GEN.SG.N ADJ INDECL
6 sermonibus words ABL.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
7 in on PREP+ABL INDECL
8 monte mountain ABL.SG.M NOUN 3RD DECL
9 Sinai Sinai GEN.SG.M NOUN INDECL
10 duas two ACC.PL.F ADJ NUM
11 tabulas tablets ACC.PL.F NOUN 1ST DECL
12 testimonii of the testimony GEN.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
13 lapideas stone ACC.PL.F ADJ POS
14 scriptas written ACC.PL.F PTCP PERF.PASS 3RD CONJ
15 digito by the finger ABL.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
16 Dei of God GEN.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Deditque Dominus Moysi … duas tabulas — subject Dominus, verb Dedit, indirect object Moysi, direct object duas tabulas.
Ablative Absolute: completis huiuscemodi sermonibus — temporal circumstance “when these kinds of words were completed.”
Prepositional Phrase: in monte Sinai — specifies setting of divine revelation.
tabulas … lapideas … scriptas digito Dei — describes the divine craftsmanship of the tablets.

Morphology

  1. Deditque — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular with enclitic -que; Function: main verb of the sentence; Translation: and gave; Notes: -que links this action to the preceding narrative.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  3. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to Moses; Notes: Hebrew name rendered indeclinably.
  4. completis — Lemma: compleo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: when … were completed; Notes: marks temporal condition.
  5. huiuscemodi — Lemma: huiuscemodi; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies sermonibus; Translation: of this kind; Notes: compound demonstrative.
  6. sermonibus — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute element; Translation: words; Notes: refers to divine instructions.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: on; Notes: indicates location of revelation.
  8. monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: mountain; Notes: refers specifically to Sinai.
  9. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: genitive of place-name; Translation: of Sinai; Notes: Biblical place name treated as genitive.
  10. duas — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies tabulas; Translation: two; Notes: cardinal numeral in feminine form.
  11. tabulas — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: tablets; Notes: refers to the stone tablets of the covenant.
  12. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the testimony; Notes: covenantal term for divine law.
  13. lapideas — Lemma: lapideus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies tabulas; Translation: stone; Notes: describes material composition.
  14. scriptas — Lemma: scribo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural feminine perfect passive; Function: modifies tabulas; Translation: written; Notes: divine authorship emphasized.
  15. digito — Lemma: digitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: by the finger; Notes: anthropomorphic expression for divine inscription.
  16. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies digito; Translation: of God; Notes: theological assertion of divine authorship.

 

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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