Exodus 30:18

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:18 Facies et labrum æneum cum basi sua ad lavandum: ponesque illud inter tabernaculum testimonii et altare. Et missa aqua,

You shall also make a bronze basin with its base for washing, and you shall place it between the tabernacle of testimony and the altar. And when water has been put in,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
2 et and CONJ INDECL
3 labrum basin ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
4 æneum bronze ACC.SG.N ADJ POS
5 cum with PREP+ABL INDECL
6 basi base ABL.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
7 sua its ABL.SG.F ADJ POSS
8 ad for PREP+ACC INDECL
9 lavandum washing GERUNDV.ACC.SG.N
10 ponesque and you shall place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ + CONJ
11 illud it ACC.SG.N PRON DEM
12 inter between PREP+ACC INDECL
13 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
14 testimonii of testimony GEN.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
15 et and CONJ INDECL
16 altare altar ACC.SG.N NOUN 3RD DECL
17 Et and CONJ INDECL
18 missa having been put in ABL.SG.F PTCP.PERF.PASS
19 aqua water ABL.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL

Syntax

Main Command 1: Facies labrum æneum cum basi sua — construction of the bronze basin and base.
Purpose Phrase: ad lavandum — gerundive expressing intended use (“for washing”).
Main Command 2: ponesque illud inter tabernaculum testimonii et altare — precise installation instructions.
Ablative Absolute: Et missa aqua — “and when water has been put in,” indicating preparatory state.

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 future used as imperative.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links actions; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates commands.
  3. labrum — Lemma: labrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of Facies; Translation: basin; Notes: ritual washing vessel.
  4. æneum — Lemma: aëneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies labrum; Translation: bronze; Notes: indicates material composition.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: links basin with its base.
  6. basi — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: base; Notes: Greek loanword.
  7. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies basi; Translation: its; Notes: reflexive, refers to the basin.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: for; Notes: introduces gerundive construction.
  9. lavandum — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: washing; Notes: typical gerundive-of-purpose formula.
  10. ponesque — Lemma: pono + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: future active indicative second singular; Function: second main verb of command; Translation: and you shall place; Notes: follows Vulgate legal style.
  11. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of pones; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the constructed basin.
  12. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses spatial relation; Translation: between; Notes: defines holy placement.
  13. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of inter; Translation: tabernacle; Notes: the sacred tent.
  14. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies tabernaculum; Translation: of testimony; Notes: identifies holy purpose.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins second spatial object; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates with prior noun.
  16. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: second object of inter; Translation: altar; Notes: sacrificial altar.
  17. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces ablative absolute; Translation: and; Notes: transitions to preparatory condition.
  18. missa — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: participle of ablative absolute; Translation: having been put in; Notes: idiomatic ritual sense: water placed/installed in the basin.
  19. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: noun of ablative absolute; Translation: water; Notes: indicates basin preparation prior to priestly washing.

 

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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