Exodus 32:16

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:16 et factas opere Dei: scriptura quoque Dei erat sculpta in tabulis.

and made by the work of God; and the writing of God also was engraved on the tablets.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ INDECL
2 factas made ACC.PL.F PTCP.PERF.PASS 3RD CONJ
3 opere by the work ABL.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
4 Dei of God GEN.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
5 scriptura writing NOM.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL
6 quoque also ADV INDECL
7 Dei of God GEN.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
8 erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND IRREG
9 sculpta engraved NOM.SG.F PTCP.PERF.PASS 1ST CONJ
10 in on / in PREP+ABL INDECL
11 tabulis the tablets ABL.PL.F NOUN 1ST DECL

Syntax

Continuation of Previous Description:
et factas opere Dei — “and made by the work of God.”
• factas modifies tabulas understood from the previous verse.
• opere Dei = ablative of means (“by the work of God”).

New Clause:
scriptura quoque Dei erat sculpta in tabulis — “and the writing of God was also engraved on the tablets.”
• scriptura Dei = subject phrase.
• erat sculpta = periphrastic passive (“was engraved”).
• in tabulis locative ablative (“on the tablets”).

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links this clause to the preceding one; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective continuing the description of the tablets.
  2. factas — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies implied tabulas; Translation: made; Notes: refers to divine craftsmanship rather than human work.
  3. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: by the work; Notes: instrument of the making.
  4. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possession (“work of God”); Translation: of God; Notes: indicates divine authorship.
  5. scriptura — Lemma: scriptura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of erat sculpta; Translation: writing; Notes: refers to the engraved commandments.
  6. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis (“also”); Translation: also; Notes: stresses the divine origin of the inscription.
  7. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies scriptura; Translation: of God; Notes: identifies the writing as divine, not human.
  8. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular imperfect indicative active; Function: copula linking scriptura Dei with sculpta; Translation: was; Notes: imperfect gives descriptive past narration.
  9. sculpta — Lemma: sculpo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate complement of erat; Translation: engraved; Notes: indicates permanent carving, not ink writing.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: on; Notes: indicates physical location on the stone surface.
  11. tabulis — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: tablets; Notes: refers back to the two stone tablets of the testimony.

 

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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