Exodus 32:25

Posted on March 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 32:25 Videns ergo Moyses populum quod esset nudatus, (spoliaverat enim eum Aaron propter ignominiam sordis, et inter hostes nudum constituerat)

Seeing then that Moyses observed the people to be stripped, (for Aaron had despoiled them because of the disgrace of their filth, and had placed them naked among enemies) 

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Videns seeing NOM.SG.M PTCP.PRES.ACT 2ND CONJ
2 ergo therefore ADV INDECL
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M NOUN INDECL
4 populum people ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
5 quod that CONJ SUBORD
6 esset was 3SG.IMP.SUBJ.ACT IRREG
7 nudatus stripped NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.PASS 1ST CONJ
8 spoliaverat had despoiled 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
9 enim for ADV INDECL
10 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON PERS
11 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M NOUN INDECL
12 propter because of PREP+ACC
13 ignominiam shame ACC.SG.F NOUN 1ST DECL
14 sordis filth GEN.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
15 et and CONJ INDECL
16 inter among PREP+ACC
17 hostes enemies ACC.PL.M NOUN 3RD DECL
18 nudum naked ACC.SG.M ADJ POS
19 constituerat had placed 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ

Syntax

Main Construction:
Videns ergo Moyses populum quod esset nudatus
• Videns introduces a circumstantial participial clause.
• Moyses = subject.
• populum = object of “seeing.”
• quod esset nudatus = content clause (“that he was stripped”).

Parenthetical Explanation:
(spoliaverat enim eum Aaron propter ignominiam sordis, et inter hostes nudum constituerat)
• Explains why the people were “naked.”
• Two coordinated pluperfect verbs (spoliaverat, constituerat) describe prior completed actions.
• propter ignominiam sordis = causal expression.
• inter hostes nudum = predicate accusative construction (“naked among enemies”).

Morphology

  1. Videns — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial modifier of Moyses; Translation: seeing; Notes: Introduces background action.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: logical connector; Translation: therefore; Notes: Common narrative connector.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: Indeclinable proper name.
  4. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of videns; Translation: people; Notes: Direct object.
  5. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: that; Notes: Subordinates reported content.
  6. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active, third singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: was; Notes: Subjunctive required by quod of indirect statement.
  7. nudatus — Lemma: nudo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive; Function: predicate of esset; Translation: stripped; Notes: Passive sense: “made naked.”
  8. spoliaverat — Lemma: spolior; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third singular; Function: first verb in parenthetical explanation; Translation: had despoiled; Notes: Indicates action prior to Moses’ seeing.
  9. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: explanatory particle; Translation: for; Notes: Introduces explanation.
  10. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of spoliaverat; Translation: him; Notes: Refers to “the people.”
  11. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of spoliaverat; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Name is indeclinable.
  12. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates cause; Translation: because of; Notes: Standard causal preposition.
  13. ignominiam — Lemma: ignominia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of propter; Translation: shame; Notes: Negative moral connotation.
  14. sordis — Lemma: sors / sordes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: of filth; Notes: Explains type of shame.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: Connects two pluperfect verbs.
  16. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: among; Notes: Preposition of placement.
  17. hostes — Lemma: hostis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of inter; Translation: enemies; Notes: Refers to hostile nations.
  18. nudum — Lemma: nudus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: naked; Notes: Describes the state in which Aaron placed them.
  19. constituerat — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third singular; Function: second verb of causal explanation; Translation: had placed; Notes: Marks completed prior action.

 

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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