Exodus 32:5

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:5 Quod cum vidisset Aaron, ædificavit altare coram eo, et præconis voce clamavit dicens: Cras sollemnitas Domini est.

And when Aaron had seen this, he built an altar before it, and with the voice of a herald he cried out, saying: “Tomorrow is the feast of the LORD.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod which ACC.SG.N PRON REL
2 cum when CONJ INDECL
3 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ 3RD CONJ
4 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M NOUN INDECL
5 ædificavit he built 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
6 altare altar ACC.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
7 coram before PREP+ABL INDECL
8 eo it ABL.SG.M/N PRON DEM
9 et and CONJ INDECL
10 præconis of a herald GEN.SG.M NOUN 3RD DECL
11 voce with a voice ABL.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
12 clamavit cried out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
13 dicens saying NOM.SG.M PTCP.PRES.ACT 3RD CONJ
14 Cras tomorrow ADV INDECL
15 sollemnitas feast NOM.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
16 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
17 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG

Syntax

Temporal Clause:
Quod cum vidisset Aaron — “When Aaron had seen this”; quod refers to the people’s proclamation; vidisset governs the temporal sense.

Main Clause:
ædificavit altare coram eo — Aaron builds an altar before the calf.

Coordinated Action:
et præconis voce clamavit — ablative of manner (præconis voce) describes how he proclaims.

Quoted Speech:
dicens: Cras sollemnitas Domini est — direct announcement establishing a sacred festival.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object referring to prior event; Translation: which; Notes: introduces temporal clause with cum.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: common with pluperfect subjunctive.
  3. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive third singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: had seen; Notes: describes prior completed action.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masc., indeclinable; Function: subject of vidisset; Translation: Aaron; Notes: leader acting independently.
  5. ædificavit — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: built; Notes: decisive ritual action.
  6. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: an altar; Notes: used in sacrificial worship.
  7. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses spatial relation; Translation: before; Notes: denotes physical proximity.
  8. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: object of coram; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the calf.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links verbs; Translation: and; Notes: adds second action.
  10. præconis — Lemma: præco; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of a herald; Notes: emphasizes authoritative proclamation.
  11. voce — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: with a voice; Notes: describes how he proclaimed.
  12. clamavit — Lemma: clamo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: cried out; Notes: denotes public announcement.
  13. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: introduces direct quotation; Translation: saying; Notes: circumstantial participle.
  14. Cras — Lemma: cras; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: tomorrow; Notes: indicates timing of festival.
  15. sollemnitas — Lemma: sollemnitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: feast; Notes: refers to sacred observance.
  16. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: equative verb linking subject and predicate.

 

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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