Exodus 30:23

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:23 dicens: Sume tibi aromata, primæ myrrhæ et electæ quingentos siclos, et cinnamomi medium, id est, ducentos quinquaginta siclos, calami similiter ducentos quinquaginta,

saying: “Take for yourself spices, of prime myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty shekels, and of calamus likewise two hundred and fifty,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dicens saying NOM.SG.M PTCP.PRES.ACT
2 Sume take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP 3RD CONJ
3 tibi for yourself DAT.SG.2ND.PERS PRON PERS
4 aromata spices ACC.PL.N NOUN 3RD DECL
5 primæ prime GEN.SG.F ADJ POS
6 myrrhæ of myrrh GEN.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL
7 et and CONJ INDECL
8 electæ chosen / select GEN.SG.F ADJ POS
9 quingentos five hundred ACC.PL.M ADJ NUM
10 siclos shekels ACC.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
11 et and CONJ INDECL
12 cinnamomi of cinnamon GEN.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
13 medium half ACC.SG.N ADJ POS
14 id that NOM.SG.N PRON DEM
15 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG
16 ducentos two hundred ACC.PL.M ADJ NUM
17 quinquaginta fifty INVAR NUM
18 siclos shekels ACC.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
19 calami of calamus GEN.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
20 similiter likewise ADV INDECL
21 ducentos two hundred ACC.PL.M ADJ NUM
22 quinquaginta fifty INVAR NUM

Syntax

Participial Introducer: dicens — introduces divine instruction.
Main Imperative: Sume tibi aromata — command to prepare sacred ingredients.
Genitives of Specification: primæ myrrhæ, electæ — specifying the quality of the ingredients.
Accusatives of Measure: quingentos siclos, ducentos quinquaginta siclos — required amounts.
Appositional Clarification: medium, id est — explanatory equivalence.
Parallel Construction: calami similiter … — repeated pattern for ingredients.

Morphology

  1. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: introduces commanded speech; Translation: saying; Notes: standard participial formula.
  2. Sume — Lemma: sumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second singular; Function: divine command; Translation: take; Notes: direct imperative.
  3. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: ethical dative; Translation: for yourself; Notes: common in ritual instructions.
  4. aromata — Lemma: aroma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of Sume; Translation: spices; Notes: Greek loanword.
  5. primæ — Lemma: primus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies myrrhæ; Translation: of prime; Notes: indicates highest quality.
  6. myrrhæ — Lemma: myrrha; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: specification within aromata; Translation: of myrrh; Notes: fragrant resin used in holy anointing.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins ingredients; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  8. electæ — Lemma: electus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies myrrhæ understood; Translation: of select (quality); Notes: denotes purity.
  9. quingentos — Lemma: quingenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: quantifying siclos; Translation: five hundred; Notes: part of cultic measures.
  10. siclos — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of the implied measure verb; Translation: shekels; Notes: weight measure.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links next ingredient; Translation: and; Notes: coordination.
  12. cinnamomi — Lemma: cinnamomum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specification; Translation: of cinnamon; Notes: imported spice.
  13. medium — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: quantifies siclos understood; Translation: half; Notes: clarified by “id est.”
  14. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of est; Translation: that; Notes: refers to medium.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: definitional clause.
  16. ducentos — Lemma: ducenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: quantifier; Translation: two hundred; Notes: combined with quinquaginta.
  17. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: completes 250; Translation: fifty; Notes: invariable cardinal.
  18. siclos — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: shekels; Notes: repeated measure.
  19. calami — Lemma: calamus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: ingredient specification; Translation: of calamus; Notes: aromatic reed.
  20. similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: parallels previous measure; Translation: likewise; Notes: signals repetition.
  21. ducentos — Lemma: ducenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: quantifier; Translation: two hundred; Notes: same measure as above.
  22. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: completes quantity; Translation: fifty; Notes: forms total 250 again.

 

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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