Exodus 12:24

Posted on March 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 12:24 Custodi verbum istud legitimum tibi et filiis tuis usque in æternum.

Keep this word as a statute for yourself and your sons forever.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Custodi keep 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 verbum word ACC.SG.N
3 istud this ACC.SG.N.DEM
4 legitimum statute ACC.SG.N.ADJ
5 tibi to you DAT.SG
6 et and CONJ
7 filiis sons DAT.PL.M
8 tuis your DAT.PL.M.ADJ
9 usque until PREP/ADV
10 in into / in PREP+ACC
11 æternum eternity / forever ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main clause:
Custodi verbum istud legitimum — imperative command
• Custodi = verb, main imperative
• verbum istud legitimum = object phrase (“this lawful statute”)

Recipient phrase:
tibi et filiis tuis — beneficiaries
• tibi = indirect object
• filiis tuis = coordinated indirect objects

Temporal phrase:
usque in æternum
• usque = temporal limit
• in æternum = “into eternity,” meaning “forever”

Morphology

  1. Custodi — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second singular; Function: main command; Translation: “keep”; Notes: direct instruction to Israel.
  2. verbum — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “word”; Notes: refers to the ordinance.
  3. istud — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies verbum; Translation: “this”; Notes: near to the speaker.
  4. legitimum — Lemma: legitimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifier; Translation: “lawful / statutory”; Notes: legal terminology.
  5. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: indicates obligation.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins recipients; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordination.
  7. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (your) sons”; Notes: communal transmission.
  8. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies filiis; Translation: “your”; Notes: indicates possession.
  9. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb/preposition; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal limiter; Translation: “until”; Notes: marks duration.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks duration; Translation: “into / in”; Notes: idiomatically “forever.”
  11. æternum — Lemma: æternum; Part of Speech: noun/adjective used substantively; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “eternity”; Notes: expresses perpetual obligation.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.