Exodus 30:19

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:19 lavabunt in ea Aaron, et filii eius manus suas ac pedes,

Aaron and his sons shall wash in it their hands and their feet,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 lavabunt they shall wash 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
2 in in PREP+ABL INDECL
3 ea it ABL.SG.F PRON DEM
4 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M NOUN INDECL
5 et and CONJ INDECL
6 filii sons NOM.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
7 eius his GEN.SG.M PRON POSS
8 manus hands ACC.PL.F NOUN 4TH DECL
9 suas their own ACC.PL.F ADJ REFL
10 ac and CONJ INDECL
11 pedes feet ACC.PL.M NOUN 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: lavabunt … Aaron et filii eius — compound subject with future imperative sense.
Prepositional Phrase: in ea — indicates location (“in it,” i.e., in the bronze basin).
Objects: manus suas ac pedes — direct objects of lavabunt; reflexive adjective suas agrees with manus and refers back to the subject.
Conjunction: ac — connective with slightly stronger linking force than et.

Morphology

  1. lavabunt — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third plural; Function: main verb of priestly instruction; Translation: they shall wash; Notes: future used imperatively in cultic law.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: in; Notes: physical location in washing ritual.
  3. ea — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the bronze basin.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Aaron; Notes: indeclinable name.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links compound subjects; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  6. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: second subject; Translation: sons; Notes: Aaron’s sons as co-ministers.
  7. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies filii; Translation: his; Notes: refers to Aaron.
  8. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: hands; Notes: fourth-declension irregular plural.
  9. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies manus; Translation: their own; Notes: reflexive referring back to Aaron and his sons.
  10. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins direct objects; Translation: and; Notes: stronger connective than et.
  11. pedes — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: feet; Notes: standard third-declension form.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.