Exodus 18:25

Posted on March 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 18:25 Et electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israel, constituit eos principes populi, tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos.

And having chosen strong men out of all Israel, he appointed them leaders of the people, rulers of thousands, and of hundreds, and of fifties, and of tens.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 electis having been chosen PTCP.PERF.PASS.ABL.PL.M
3 viris men NOUN.ABL.PL.M
4 strenuis strong ADJ.ABL.PL.M
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 cuncto all ADJ.ABL.SG.M
7 Israel Israel NOUN.ABL.SG.M
8 constituit he appointed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 eos them PRON.PERS.ACC.PL.M
10 principes leaders NOUN.ACC.PL.M
11 populi of the people NOUN.GEN.SG.M
12 tribunos tribunes NOUN.ACC.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 centuriones centurions NOUN.ACC.PL.M
15 et and CONJ
16 quinquagenarios leaders of fifty NOUN.ACC.PL.M
17 et and CONJ
18 decanos leaders of ten NOUN.ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Ablative Absolute:
electis viris strenuis de cuncto Israel — “when strong men from all Israel had been chosen.”

Main Clause:
constituit eos principes populi — subject (Moses implied) + perfect verb + object + predicate accusative.

Series of Appositive Offices:
tribunos, et centuriones, et quinquagenarios, et decanos — graded administrative ranks.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects sentence to previous; Translation: and; Notes: narrative progression.
  2. electis — Lemma: eligo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having been chosen; Notes: prior completed selection.
  3. viris — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: complement in ablative absolute; Translation: men; Notes: leaders-to-be.
  4. strenuis — Lemma: strenuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies viris; Translation: strong; Notes: emphasizes capability.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: selection context.
  6. cuncto — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies Israel; Translation: all; Notes: full population.
  7. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable except case endings added in Latin); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: Israel; Notes: ethnic term.
  8. constituit — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: he appointed; Notes: decisive action.
  9. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of constituit; Translation: them; Notes: the selected men.
  10. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: leaders; Notes: describes appointed role.
  11. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the people; Notes: governing body.
  12. tribunos — Lemma: tribunus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: appositive to principes; Translation: tribunes; Notes: higher rank.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: serial listing.
  14. centuriones — Lemma: centurio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: coordinated office; Translation: centurions; Notes: leaders of hundreds.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connecting next rank; Translation: and.
  16. quinquagenarios — Lemma: quinquagenarius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: office; Translation: leaders of fifty; Notes: administrative subdivision.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: linking final rank; Translation: and.
  18. decanos — Lemma: decanus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: office; Translation: leaders of ten; Notes: lowest judicial rank.

 

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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