Exodus 40:18

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:18 Posuit et testimonium in arca, subditis infra vectibus, et oraculum desuper.

And he placed the testimony in the ark, with the bars set beneath, and the oracle above.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Posuit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 testimonium testimony ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 arca the ark ABL.SG.F.1ST.DECL
6 subditis with … placed beneath PTCP.PERF.PASS.ABL.PL.M/N
7 infra under ADV
8 vectibus bars ABL.PL.M.3RD.DECL
9 et and CONJ
10 oraculum the oracle / mercy seat ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
11 desuper above ADV

Syntax

Main Clause:
• Posuit … testimonium in arca
— verb: Posuit
— object: testimonium
— location: in arca

Ablative Absolute:
• subditis infra vectibus
— participle: subditis
— noun: vectibus
Meaning: “with the bars placed underneath.”

Coordinated Action:
• et oraculum desuper
— object: oraculum
— adverb: desuper (“above”)
Refers to placing the propitiatorium (mercy seat).

Morphology

  1. Posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he placed; Notes: describes installation of sacred contents.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins narrative elements; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  3. testimonium — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: testimony; Notes: refers to the tablets of the covenant.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: in; Notes: indicates placement inside the ark.
  5. arca — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: the ark; Notes: the sacred chest that holds the tablets.
  6. subditis — Lemma: subdo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative plural masculine/neuter; Function: head of ablative absolute; Translation: with … placed beneath; Notes: refers to the insertion of the carrying bars.
  7. infra — Lemma: infra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies subditis vectibus; Translation: under; Notes: spatial term marking lower placement.
  8. vectibus — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine 3rd declension; Function: complement in ablative absolute; Translation: bars; Notes: the poles used to carry the ark.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces second coordinated action; Translation: and; Notes: connects placement of the mercy seat.
  10. oraculum — Lemma: oraculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: direct object (of implied posuit); Translation: the oracle / mercy seat; Notes: Latin oraculum here means the propitiatorium.
  11. desuper — Lemma: desuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: indicates position; Translation: above; Notes: marks placement of the mercy seat over the ark.

 

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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