Exodus 12:2

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 12:2 Mensis iste, vobis principium mensium: primus erit in mensibus anni.

“This month, for you, is the beginning of months; it will be the first among the months of the year.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Mensis month NOM.SG.M
2 iste this DEM.PRON.NOM.SG.M
3 vobis for you DAT.PL.2PERS.PRON
4 principium beginning NOM.SG.N
5 mensium of months GEN.PL.M
6 primus first NOM.SG.M
7 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 mensibus months ABL.PL.M
10 anni of the year GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Equative Clause (compressed): Mensis iste (subject: “this month”) + understood copula (“is”) + vobis principium mensium (predicate nominative “for you [the] beginning of months”).
Second Clause: primus (predicate nominative) + erit (future copular verb) with an implied subject (“this month”) carried over from the first clause.
Prepositional Phrase: in mensibus anni — locative phrase specifying the sphere or set within which this month is first (“among the months of the year”).
Internal Dependence: mensium and anni are genitives dependent on principium and mensibus respectively, specifying “of months” and “of the year.”

Morphology

  1. Mensis — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: “month”; Notes: identifies the specific calendar month being designated liturgically.
  2. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: demonstrative modifier of Mensis; Translation: “this”; Notes: deictic term pointing to the immediately present or newly revealed month.
  3. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative plural (second person); Function: dative of advantage (“for you”); Translation: “for you”; Notes: marks the people addressed as the beneficiaries of the calendrical designation.
  4. principium — Lemma: principium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative in apposition to Mensis iste; Translation: “beginning”; Notes: states the role or status of this month within the sequence of months.
  5. mensium — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive with principium; Translation: “of months”; Notes: specifies the domain in which this beginning is defined: the series of months.
  6. primus — Lemma: primus; Part of Speech: adjective (superlative used substantively); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative with implied subject (“this month”); Translation: “first”; Notes: expresses rank/priority in the order of months, not merely temporal sequence.
  7. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third person singular; Function: copular verb linking implied subject and predicate primus; Translation: “will be”; Notes: future tense marks an ongoing norm or decree extending into subsequent years.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: here signals inclusion within a set or series rather than simple interior location.
  9. mensibus — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “months”; Notes: ablative expresses the group within which this month holds first place.
  10. anni — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of specification/possession with mensibus; Translation: “of the year”; Notes: narrows the reference of the months to those that constitute the yearly cycle.

 

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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