Exodus 13:22

Posted on March 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 13:22 Numquam defuit columna nubis per diem, nec columna ignis per noctem, coram populo.

The pillar of cloud by day never failed, nor the pillar of fire by night, before the people.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Numquam never ADV
2 defuit was lacking 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 columna pillar NOUN.NOM.SG.F
4 nubis of cloud NOUN.GEN.SG.F
5 per through PREP+ACC
6 diem day NOUN.ACC.SG.M
7 nec nor CONJ
8 columna pillar NOUN.NOM.SG.F
9 ignis of fire NOUN.GEN.SG.M
10 per through PREP+ACC
11 noctem night NOUN.ACC.SG.F
12 coram before PREP+ABL
13 populo the people NOUN.ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Main structure: Two parallel clauses:
• Numquam defuit columna nubis per diem — subject columna nubis, verb defuit, adverb numquam, phrase per diem.
• nec columna ignis per noctem — coordinated negative clause introduced by nec; ellipsis of the verb defuit understood.
Final phrase: coram populo — ablative of place “before the people,” modifying the entire preceding idea.

Morphology

  1. Numquam — Lemma: numquam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates the verb; Translation: “never”; Notes: intensifies divine constancy.
  2. defuit — Lemma: desum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was lacking”; Notes: expresses completed action with ongoing implication.
  3. columna — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “pillar”; Notes: refers to the divine manifestation.
  4. nubis — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of cloud”; Notes: specifies the kind of pillar.
  5. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses duration; Translation: “through”; Notes: temporal extent.
  6. diem — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of per; Translation: “day”; Notes: daytime guidance.
  7. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces negative coordination; Translation: “nor”; Notes: adds the second clause.
  8. columna — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject (second clause); Translation: “pillar”; Notes: parallel to earlier coluna.
  9. ignis — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of fire”; Notes: contrasts the pillar of cloud.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: temporal extent; Translation: “through”; Notes: nighttime period.
  11. noctem — Lemma: nox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: “night”; Notes: night guidance.
  12. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses presence; Translation: “before”; Notes: emphasizes divine guidance in view of all.
  13. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: “people”; Notes: refers to Israel.

 

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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