Exodus 17:15

Posted on March 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 17’15 Ædificavitque Moyses altare: et vocavit nomen eius, Dominus exaltatio mea, dicens:

And Moyses built an altar; and he called its name, “The LORD is my exaltation,” saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ædificavitque and he built 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Moyses Moses NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 altare altar NOUN.ACC.SG.N
4 et and CONJ
5 vocavit called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 nomen name NOUN.ACC.SG.N
7 eius its PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.N
8 Dominus LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
9 exaltatio exaltation NOUN.NOM.SG.F
10 mea my PRON.POSS.NOM.SG.F
11 dicens saying PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Narrative Clause: Ædificavitque Moyses altare — perfect verb with subject and direct object.
Second Main Clause: et vocavit nomen eius — perfect verb governing naming formula.
Predicate Name: Dominus exaltatio mea — nominal sentence functioning as the given name.
Participial Extension: dicens — introduces a following quotation or explanation.

Morphology

  1. Ædificavitque — Lemma: aedifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: and he built; Notes: -que joins it to prior narrative chain.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: builder of altar.
  3. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: altar; Notes: liturgical object.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects actions; Translation: and; Notes: sequential marker.
  5. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: naming verb; Translation: called; Notes: formal designation.
  6. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object; Translation: name; Notes: naming formula structure.
  7. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies nomen; Translation: its; Notes: refers to the altar.
  8. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate name; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH in this appellation.
  9. exaltatio — Lemma: exaltatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: exaltation; Notes: abstracts God’s action.
  10. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies exaltatio; Translation: my; Notes: expresses personal devotion.
  11. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces quotation; Translation: saying; Notes: signals continued speech.

 

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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