Exodus 40:31

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:31 Erexit et atrium per gyrum tabernaculi et altaris, ducto in introitu eius tentorio. Postquam omnia perfecta sunt,

And he set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, drawing the curtain at its entrance. After all things were finished,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Erexit he set up 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 atrium court ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
4 per around PREP+ACC
5 gyrum circle / circuit ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL
6 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL
7 et and CONJ
8 altaris of the altar GEN.SG.N.3RD.DECL
9 ducto having drawn PTCP.PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.M
10 in at / into PREP+ACC
11 introitu entrance ABL.SG.M.4TH.DECL
12 eius its GEN.SG.M.PRON
13 tentorio curtain ABL.SG.N.2ND.DECL
14 Postquam after CONJ.SUBORD
15 omnia all things NOM.PL.N.3RD.DECL
16 perfecta finished NOM.PL.N.PTCP.PERF.PASS
17 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause:
• Erexit et atrium per gyrum tabernaculi et altaris — “and he set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar”
— atrium = direct object
— per gyrum = accusative phrase meaning “around, encircling”
— tabernaculi et altaris = genitives defining what the court surrounds

Ablative Absolute:
• ducto in introitu eius tentorio — “with the curtain drawn at its entrance”
— ducto tentorio = perfect passive participle + noun
— in introitu eius = locative specification

Temporal Clause:
• Postquam omnia perfecta sunt — “after all things were finished”
— perfecta sunt = perfect passive verb phrase
— omnia = subject

Morphology

  1. Erexit — Lemma: erigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he set up; Notes: describes establishment of the outer courtyard.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins actions; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective continuing the narrative.
  3. atrium — Lemma: atrium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: court; Notes: refers to the outer court surrounding the sanctuary.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses extension around; Translation: around; Notes: emphasizes encircling placement.
  5. gyrum — Lemma: gyrus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: object of per; Translation: circle; Notes: idiomatically “all around.”
  6. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: modifies gyrum; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: specifies what the court surrounds.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links genitives; Translation: and; Notes: joins two sacred structures.
  8. altaris — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 3rd declension; Function: modifies gyrum; Translation: of the altar; Notes: refers to the main sacrificial altar.
  9. ducto — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having been drawn; Notes: describes the curtain being pulled into place.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: at / into; Notes: introduces the entrance phrase.
  11. introitu — Lemma: introitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine 4th declension; Function: object of in; Translation: entrance; Notes: designates the gate to the courtyard.
  12. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: modifies introitu; Translation: its; Notes: refers to the court.
  13. tentorio — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: ablative absolute with ducto; Translation: curtain; Notes: refers to the screen hung at the entrance.
  14. Postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: after; Notes: classical temporal marker for completion.
  15. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/substantive; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: all things; Notes: collective subject for completed actions.
  16. perfecta — Lemma: perficio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate with sunt; Translation: finished; Notes: describes state resulting from prior actions.
  17. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: were; Notes: completes the perfect passive construction.

 

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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