Exodus 32:35

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:35 Percussit ergo Dominus populum pro reatu vituli, quem fecerat Aaron.

And the LORD struck the people for the guilt of the calf which Aaron had made.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Percussit struck 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
2 ergo therefore ADV INDECL
3 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
4 populum people ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
5 pro for PREP+ABL INDECL
6 reatu guilt ABL.SG.M NOUN 4TH DECL
7 vituli of the calf GEN.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
8 quem which ACC.SG.M PRON REL
9 fecerat had made 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
10 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M NOUN INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause:
Percussit ergo Dominus populum — “Therefore the LORD struck the people.”
• Dominus = subject (translated “LORD” because it refers to YHWH).
• Percussit = perfect verb of decisive judgment.
• populum = direct object.

Prepositional Phrase (cause):
pro reatu vituli — “for the guilt of the calf.”
• Ablative after pro = reason or cause.
• vituli = objective genitive (“guilt regarding the calf”).

Relative Clause:
quem fecerat Aaron — “which Aaron had made.”
• quem refers back to vituli.
• fecerat = pluperfect indicating prior completed action.
• Aaron = subject of the clause.

Morphology

  1. Percussit — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: struck; Notes: Perfect denotes decisive punitive action.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: logical connector; Translation: therefore; Notes: Draws conclusion from prior statements.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH, thus translated “LORD.”
  4. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: people; Notes: Collective object of divine punishment.
  5. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses cause; Translation: for; Notes: Used with abstract nouns of guilt or obligation.
  6. reatu — Lemma: reatus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine (4th declension); Function: object of pro; Translation: guilt; Notes: Legal/judicial term for liability or fault.
  7. vituli — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: objective genitive; Translation: of the calf; Notes: Specifies the cause of guilt—the golden calf.
  8. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of fecerat; Translation: which; Notes: Refers back to vitulus.
  9. fecerat — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: predicate of relative clause; Translation: had made; Notes: Pluperfect marks action prior to Israel’s sin and judgment.
  10. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular (indeclinable); Function: subject of fecerat; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Standard indeclinable Vulgate form.

 

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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