Exodus 30:31

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:31 Filiis quoque Israel dices: Hoc oleum unctionis sanctum erit mihi in generationes vestras.

You shall also say to the sons of Israel: ‘This oil of anointing shall be holy to me for your generations.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filiis to the sons DAT.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
2 quoque also ADV INDECL
3 Israel Israel DAT.PL.M NOUN INDECL
4 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
5 Hoc this NOM.SG.N PRON DEM
6 oleum oil NOM.SG.N NOUN 2ND DECL
7 unctionis of anointing GEN.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
8 sanctum holy NOM.SG.N ADJ POS
9 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND IRREG
10 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PERS PRON
11 in for PREP+ACC INDECL
12 generationes generations ACC.PL.F NOUN 3RD DECL
13 vestras your ACC.PL.F ADJ POSS

Syntax

Dative of Address: Filiis quoque Israel — the audience of the command.
Main Verb: dices — introduces divine directive.
Predicate: Hoc oleum unctionis sanctum erit mihi — “This oil of anointing shall be holy to me.”
Prepositional Phrase: in generationes vestras — expresses duration and perpetuity.

Morphology

  1. Filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object of command; Translation: to the sons; Notes: standard formula for addressing Israel.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds inclusion; Translation: also; Notes: continues divine instructions.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural; Function: completes phrase “to the sons of Israel”; Translation: Israel; Notes: indeclinable Hebrew name.
  4. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second singular; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall say; Notes: command formula.
  5. Hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: points to the oil; Translation: this; Notes: emphasizes specificity.
  6. oleum — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of erit; Translation: oil; Notes: consecrated substance.
  7. unctionis — Lemma: unctio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies oleum; Translation: of anointing; Notes: specifies ritual purpose.
  8. sanctum — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: holy; Notes: expresses sacred status.
  9. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third singular; Function: links subject and predicate; Translation: shall be; Notes: legal pronouncement.
  10. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: dative of possession/relation; Translation: to me; Notes: expresses divine ownership.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative here; Function: expresses duration; Translation: for; Notes: idiomatic temporal use.
  12. generationes — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: generations; Notes: refers to future Israelites.
  13. vestras — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies generationes; Translation: your; Notes: plural addressing the nation.

 

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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