Exodus 29:4

Posted on March 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 29:4 Et Aaron, ac filios eius applicabis ad ostium tabernaculi testimonii. Cumque laveris patrem cum filiis suis aqua,

And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of testimony. And when you have washed the father with his sons with water,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et And CONJ
2 Aaron Aaron NOUN ACC.SG.M INDECL
3 ac and CONJ
4 filios sons NOUN ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL
5 eius his PRON POSS GEN.SG.M
6 applicabis you shall bring VERB 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 ostium entrance NOUN ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
9 tabernaculi of the tent NOUN GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
10 testimonii of testimony NOUN GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
11 Cumque And when CONJ
12 laveris you have washed VERB 2SG.FUTP.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
13 patrem the father NOUN ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL
14 cum with PREP+ABL
15 filiis sons NOUN ABL.PL.M 2ND DECL
16 suis his PRON REFL ABL.PL.M
17 aqua with water NOUN ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL

Syntax

Main Instruction: Et Aaron ac filios eius applicabis — verb applicabis (future active) governs two coordinated objects: Aaron and filios eius.
Destination Phrase: ad ostium tabernaculi testimonii — prepositional phrase indicating where they are to be brought; tabernaculi testimonii forms a genitive chain.
Temporal Clause: Cumque laveris patrem cum filiis suis aqua — introduced by Cumque, verb laveris (future perfect), object patrem, accompanied by cum filiis suis, and ablative of means aqua.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links this command to prior context; Translation: and; Notes: standard connective in ritual narrative.
  2. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: direct object; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Hebrew loan-name, unchanged in Latin.
  3. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: strengthens coordination; Translation: and; Notes: slightly more emphatic than et.
  4. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: coordinated object of applicabis; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to Aaron’s sons.
  5. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to Aaron.
  6. applicabis — Lemma: applico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall bring; Notes: denotes mandated future action.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks destination; Translation: to; Notes: directional usage.
  8. ostium — Lemma: ostium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: entrance; Notes: literal doorway of the sanctuary tent.
  9. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the tent; Notes: first noun in genitive chain.
  10. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of testimony; Notes: defines the tabernacle’s sacred function.
  11. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: enclitic -que joins the clause to prior instructions.
  12. laveris — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative second person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: you have washed; Notes: expresses prior completion before the next command.
  13. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of laveris; Translation: the father; Notes: refers to Aaron.
  14. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: links Aaron with his sons.
  15. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: sons; Notes: indicates those washed alongside Aaron.
  16. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifier of filiis; Translation: his; Notes: reflexively refers to Aaron.
  17. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with water; Notes: specifies ritual washing medium.

 

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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