Exodus 40:27

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:27 et altare holocausti in vestibulo testimonii, offerens in eo holocaustum, et sacrificia, ut Dominus imperaverat.

and the altar of the burnt offering he placed at the entrance of the testimony, offering on it the burnt offering and the sacrifices, just as the LORD had commanded.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 altare altar ACC.SG.N.3RD.DECL
3 holocausti of the burnt offering GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL
4 in in / at PREP+ABL
5 vestibulo at the entrance ABL.SG.N.2ND.DECL
6 testimonii of the testimony GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL
7 offerens offering PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
8 in on / upon PREP+ABL
9 eo on it ABL.SG.N.PRON
10 holocaustum burnt offering ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
11 et and CONJ
12 sacrificia sacrifices ACC.PL.N.2ND.DECL
13 ut as / just as CONJ.SUBORD
14 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
15 imperaverat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Placement:
• et altare holocausti in vestibulo testimonii — “and the altar of the burnt offering [was placed] at the entrance of the testimony”
— altare holocausti = complex direct object (with genitive of specification)
— in vestibulo testimonii = locative phrase specifying position before the sacred tent

Participial Action:
• offerens in eo holocaustum et sacrificia — “offering on it the burnt offering and the sacrifices”
— offerens = nominative participle describing Moses’ ongoing cultic action
— in eo = location on the altar
— holocaustum et sacrificia = coordinated direct objects

Conformity Formula:
• ut Dominus imperaverat — “as the LORD had commanded”
— Dominus = subject
— imperaverat = pluperfect main verb of the clause

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links this action with the previous narrative step; Translation: and; Notes: introduces a further element in the sequence of sanctuary arrangements.
  2. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 3rd declension; Function: direct object (understood with posuit from context); Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the bronze altar used for burnt offerings.
  3. holocausti — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: genitive of specification modifying altare; Translation: of the burnt offering; Notes: indicates the particular cultic function of this altar.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: marks “place where”; Translation: in / at; Notes: introduces the locative phrase describing the altar’s position.
  5. vestibulo — Lemma: vestibulum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: at the entrance; Notes: denotes the forecourt or threshold area before the tabernacle.
  6. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: genitive modifying vestibulo; Translation: of the testimony; Notes: identifies this as the entrance belonging to the tent that houses the covenant tablets.
  7. offerens — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle describing Moses’ ongoing priestly action; Translation: offering; Notes: portrays the active performance of sacrifice on the newly placed altar.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: on / upon; Notes: shows that the offerings are made on the altar itself.
  9. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: it; Notes: refers back to the altar of burnt offering.
  10. holocaustum — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: direct object of offerens; Translation: burnt offering; Notes: denotes the whole offering consumed by fire.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates additional object; Translation: and; Notes: links holocaustum with the broader category sacrificia.
  12. sacrificia — Lemma: sacrificium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter 2nd declension; Function: coordinated direct object; Translation: sacrifices; Notes: covers other offerings besides the burnt offerings.
  13. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces clause of conformity; Translation: as / just as; Notes: signals alignment with divine command.
  14. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: subject of imperaverat; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH as the one who commands the cultic order.
  15. imperaverat — Lemma: impero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: pluperfect highlights that Moses’ sacrificial activity is grounded in prior divine instruction.

 

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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