Exodus 30:1

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:1 Facies quoque altare ad adolendum thymiama, de lignis setim,

You shall also make an altar for burning incense, of acacia wood,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
2 quoque also ADV INDECL
3 altare altar ACC.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
4 ad for / to PREP+GERUNDV INDECL
5 adolendum for burning GERUNDV.ACC.SG.N
6 thymiama incense ACC.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
7 de of / from PREP+ABL INDECL
8 lignis woods ABL.PL.N NOUN 3RD DECL
9 setim acacia ABL.PL.N NOUN INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Facies quoque altare — imperative-future command to construct the incense altar.
Purpose/Gerundive Construction: ad adolendum thymiama — expresses purpose of the altar: for burning incense.
Prepositional Phrase: de lignis setim — specifies construction material.

Morphology

  1. Facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second singular; Function: main verb of divine command; Translation: you shall make; Notes: legal-instruction future.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: additive marker; Translation: also; Notes: adds a new sacred object to previous instructions.
  3. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the incense altar, distinct from the bronze altar.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs gerundive; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: for; Notes: introduces purpose construction with gerundive.
  5. adolendum — Lemma: adoleo; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: gerundive of purpose; Translation: for burning; Notes: expresses designated use of the altar.
  6. thymiama — Lemma: thymiama; Part of Speech: noun (Greek loanword); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of the verbal idea in the gerundive; Translation: incense; Notes: technical term for sacred aromatic offering.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates material; Translation: of; Notes: standard ablative of material.
  8. lignis — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: woods; Notes: refers to timber used in sacred construction.
  9. setim — Lemma: setim; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifier of lignis; Translation: acacia; Notes: the standard material for holy objects.

 

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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