Exodus 19:2

Posted on March 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 19:2 Nam profecti de Raphidim, et pervenientes usque in desertum Sinai, castrametati sunt in eodem loco, ibique Israel fixit tentoria e regione montis.

For having set out from Raphidim, and arriving as far as the desert of Sinai, they encamped in the same place, and there Israel pitched tents opposite the mountain.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nam for CONJ
2 profecti having set out PTCP.PERF.DEP.NOM.PL.M
3 de from PREP+ABL
4 Raphidim Rephidim NOUN.ABL.SG.F (INDECL)
5 et and CONJ
6 pervenientes arriving PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.PL.M
7 usque as far as PREP+ACC
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 desertum desert NOUN.ACC.SG.N
10 Sinai of Sinai NOUN.GEN.SG.M (INDECL)
11 castrametati they encamped PTCP.PERF.DEP.NOM.PL.M
12 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 eodem the same PRON.DEM.ABL.SG.M/N
15 loco place NOUN.ABL.SG.M
16 ibique and there ADV + ENCLITIC
17 Israel Israel NOUN.NOM.SG.M (INDECL)
18 fixit pitched 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 tentoria tents NOUN.ACC.PL.N
20 e from PREP+ABL
21 regione region / opposite side NOUN.ABL.SG.F
22 montis of the mountain NOUN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Participial Sequence:
profecti de Raphidim — deponent perfect participle, “having set out.”
pervenientes usque in desertum Sinai — present participle denoting concurrent action, “arriving as far as the desert.”

Main Clause:
castrametati sunt in eodem loco — deponent perfect, “they encamped in the same place.”

Secondary Main Clause:
ibique Israel fixit tentoria — Israel as subject, perfect verb + object.

Locative/Directional Phrase:
e regione montis — “opposite the mountain.”

Morphology

  1. Nam — Lemma: nam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: explanatory connector; Translation: for; Notes: introduces background.
  2. profecti — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: having set out; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  3. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: marks origin.
  4. Raphidim — Lemma: Raphidim; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular (indeclinable form with case ending); Function: object of de; Translation: Raphidim; Notes: place-name.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins participles; Translation: and; Notes: connects actions.
  6. pervenientes — Lemma: pervenio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: arriving; Notes: denotes simultaneous movement.
  7. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: preposition/adverb; Form: with in + acc; Function: expresses extent; Translation: as far as; Notes: intensifies motion.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: into; Notes: movement toward.
  9. desertum — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: desert; Notes: geographical feature.
  10. Sinai — Lemma: Sinai; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Sinai; Notes: location name.
  11. castrametati — Lemma: castrametor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle; Function: main predicate (with sunt); Translation: encamped; Notes: military expression.
  12. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd plural; Function: auxiliary for deponent; Translation: they were; Notes: deponent construction.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: static location.
  14. eodem — Lemma: idem; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: modifies loco; Translation: the same; Notes: emphasizes sameness.
  15. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: place; Notes: encampment location.
  16. ibique — Lemma: ibi + que; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic; Form: invariable; Function: links with emphasis on location; Translation: and there; Notes: transitional adverb.
  17. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of fixit; Translation: Israel; Notes: collective people as one.
  18. fixit — Lemma: figo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: pitched; Notes: military imagery.
  19. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: tents; Notes: encampment description.
  20. e — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses position relative to something; Translation: from; Notes: here meaning “opposite.”
  21. regione — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: complement of e; Translation: region / opposite side; Notes: classical expression e regione = opposite.
  22. montis — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possession; Translation: of the mountain; Notes: refers to Sinai.

 

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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