Exodus 32:19

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:19 Cumque appropinquasset ad castra, vidit vitulum, et choros: iratusque valde, proiecit de manu tabulas, et confregit eas ad radicem montis:

And when he had approached the camp, he saw the calf and the dances; and becoming very angry, he cast the tablets from his hand and shattered them at the base of the mountain;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ INDECL
2 appropinquasset had approached 3SG.PLUP.SUBJ.ACT 3RD CONJ
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC INDECL
4 castra camp ACC.PL.N NOUN 2ND DECL
5 vidit saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
6 vitulum calf ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
7 et and CONJ INDECL
8 choros dances ACC.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
9 iratusque and having become angry NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.PASS 1ST CONJ
10 valde greatly ADV INDECL
11 proiecit he cast / threw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
12 de from PREP+ABL INDECL
13 manu hand ABL.SG.F NOUN 4TH DECL
14 tabulas tablets ACC.PL.F NOUN 1ST DECL
15 et and CONJ INDECL
16 confregit shattered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
17 eas them ACC.PL.F PRON DEM
18 ad at PREP+ACC INDECL
19 radicem root / base ACC.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
20 montis of the mountain GEN.SG.M NOUN 3RD DECL

Syntax

Temporal Clause:
Cumque appropinquasset ad castra — “And when he had approached the camp”
• appropinquasset = pluperfect subjunctive expressing anterior action.
• ad castra = goal of motion.

Main Clause:
vidit vitulum et choros — “he saw the calf and the dances”
• Two coordinated objects.

Participial Phrase:
iratusque valde — “and being very angry”
• Describes state of Moses after seeing the idolatry.

Action Sequence:
proiecit … tabulas — “he cast down the tablets”
confregit eas — “and shattered them”
• Two perfect verbs, sequential narrative.
• ad radicem montis locates the shattering.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause with connective; Translation: and when; Notes: -que adds linkage to previous narrative.
  2. appropinquasset — Lemma: appropinquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: had approached; Notes: Pluperfect subjunctive standard with cum temporal clauses.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction; Translation: to; Notes: Fixed government pattern.
  4. castra — Lemma: castra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: camp; Notes: Plural-only noun referring to encampment.
  5. vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: saw; Notes: Perfect used for narrative foregrounding.
  6. vitulum — Lemma: vitulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of vidit; Translation: calf; Notes: Refers to the golden idol.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links objects; Translation: and; Notes: Standard coordinating conjunction.
  8. choros — Lemma: chorus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: second object; Translation: dances; Notes: Refers to ritual dancing around the idol.
  9. iratusque — Lemma: iratus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying Moses; Translation: and having become angry; Notes: Perfect participle describes resulting state.
  10. valde — Lemma: valde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: intensifier; Translation: greatly; Notes: Strengthens emotional force.
  11. proiecit — Lemma: proicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: cast; Notes: Violent action indicating anger.
  12. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: Used spatially here.
  13. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: hand; Notes: Fourth-declension feminine noun.
  14. tabulas — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of proiecit; Translation: tablets; Notes: Refers to the stone tablets of the covenant.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects sequential actions; Translation: and; Notes: Narratively links two results of Moses’ anger.
  16. confregit — Lemma: confringo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular perfect active indicative; Function: second action; Translation: shattered; Notes: Emphasizes total destruction.
  17. eas — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of confregit; Translation: them; Notes: Refers to the tablets.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks location; Translation: at; Notes: Spatial placement of shattering.
  19. radicem — Lemma: radix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: base / root; Notes: Means “foot” or “bottom” of the mountain.
  20. montis — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the mountain; Notes: Refers to Sinai.

 

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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