Exodus 19:15

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:15 ait ad eos: Estote parati in diem tertium, et ne appropinquetis uxoribus vestris.

he said to them: “Be ready on the third day, and do not approach your wives.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
4 Estote be 2PL.FUT.ACT.IMP.MOOD
5 parati ready PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.M
6 in on PREP+ACC
7 diem day NOUN.ACC.SG.M
8 tertium third ADJ.ACC.SG.M
9 et and CONJ
10 ne do not ADV.NEG
11 appropinquetis approach 2PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 uxoribus wives NOUN.DAT/ABL.PL.F
13 vestris your PRON.POSS.DAT/ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Speech Introduction:
ait ad eos — verb of speaking with ad + accusative (“to them”).

Main Command:
Estote parati — future imperative plural expressing firm preparation requirement.

Prepositional Phrase:
in diem tertium — accusative of time; deadline: “for the third day.”

Negative Subjunctive Command:
ne appropinquetis — prohibition using the present subjunctive.

Indirect Object:
uxoribus vestris — dative; those to whom approach is forbidden.

Morphology

  1. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: he said; Notes: defective verb used for narration.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction of speech; Translation: to; Notes: standard with verbs of saying.
  3. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: them; Notes: refers to Israelites receiving the instruction.
  4. Estote — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active imperative 2nd plural; Function: command; Translation: be; Notes: strong exhortation for readiness.
  5. parati — Lemma: paratus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: ready; Notes: agrees with understood subject “you.”
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: indicates time limit; Translation: on/for; Notes: temporal expression.
  7. diem — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: day; Notes: accusative of time.
  8. tertium — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies diem; Translation: third; Notes: ordinal used literally.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links second command.
  10. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: adverb/particle; Form: invariable; Function: introduces prohibition; Translation: do not; Notes: standard in negative commands.
  11. appropinquetis — Lemma: appropinquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 2nd plural; Function: verb of negative command; Translation: approach; Notes: subjunctive used jussively.
  12. uxoribus — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative/ablative plural feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: wives; Notes: dative with verb of approaching.
  13. vestris — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative/ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies uxoribus; Translation: your; Notes: refers to the men addressed.

 

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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