Exodus 13:12

Posted on March 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 13:12 separabis omne quod aperit vulvam Domino, et quod primitivum est in pecoribus tuis: quidquid habueris masculini sexus, consecrabis Domino.

you shall set apart all that opens the womb for the LORD, and whatever is firstborn among your cattle; whatever you have that is of the male sex, you shall consecrate to the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 separabis you shall set apart 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 omne every ADJ.ACC.SG.N
3 quod that which PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
4 aperit opens 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 vulvam womb NOUN.ACC.SG.F
6 Domino to the LORD NOUN.DAT.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 quod whatever PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
9 primitivum firstborn ADJ.NOM/ACC.SG.N
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 pecoribus cattle NOUN.ABL.PL.N
13 tuis your ADJ.ABL.PL.N
14 quidquid whatever PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
15 habueris you shall have 2SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
16 masculini of male ADJ.GEN.SG.M
17 sexus sex NOUN.GEN.SG.M
18 consecrabis you shall consecrate 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
19 Domino to the LORD NOUN.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main clause 1: separabis omne quod aperit vulvam Domino — separabis is the governing verb; direct object is omne quod aperit vulvam, a substantive clause with quod as subject and aperit vulvam as predicate; Domino expresses the recipient.
Main clause 2: et quod primitivum est in pecoribus tuis — quod introduces another substantive clause functioning as object implied from separabis; primitivum est is the predicate; in pecoribus tuis defines domain.
Main clause 3: quidquid habueris masculini sexus — independent clause with quidquid as subject and habueris as verb; masculini sexus is a genitive of quality.
Final clause: consecrabis Domino modifies quidquid…, prescribing consecration to the LORD.

Morphology

  1. separabis — Lemma: separo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “you shall set apart”; Notes: prescribes ritual dedication.
  2. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of separabis; Translation: “every”; Notes: modifies the relative clause.
  3. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “that which”; Notes: refers to “omne.”
  4. aperit — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: predicate of relative clause; Translation: “opens”; Notes: idiomatically “opens the womb.”
  5. vulvam — Lemma: vulva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of aperit; Translation: “womb”; Notes: technical term for first offspring.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object/recipient; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordinates second object clause.
  8. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces new relative clause; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: joins to implied verb separabis.
  9. primitivum — Lemma: primitivus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective with est; Translation: “firstborn”; Notes: modifies quod.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: links primitives to the clause.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: indicates domain.
  12. pecoribus — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: complement of in; Translation: “cattle”; Notes: domesticated herd animals.
  13. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies pecoribus; Translation: “your”; Notes: belonging to Israel.
  14. quidquid — Lemma: quidquid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of habueris; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: broad inclusiveness.
  15. habueris — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative second person singular; Function: governs quidquid; Translation: “you shall have”; Notes: expresses any future possession.
  16. masculini — Lemma: masculinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies sexus; Translation: “of male”; Notes: genitive of quality.
  17. sexus — Lemma: sexus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive complement to masculini; Translation: “sex”; Notes: describes gender requirement.
  18. consecrabis — Lemma: consecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular; Function: main verb prescribing action; Translation: “you shall consecrate”; Notes: refers to ritual dedication.
  19. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of consecrabis; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH.

 

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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