Exodus 33:9

Posted on March 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 33:9 Ingresso autem illo tabernaculum fœderis, descendebat columna nubis, et stabat ad ostium, loquebaturque cum Moyse,

But when he had entered the tabernacle of the covenant, the column of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance, and it would speak with Moyses,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ingresso having entered PTCP.PERF.DEP.ABL.SG.M 3RD CONJ
2 autem but ADV
3 illo that man / he ABL.SG.M DEM.PRON
4 tabernaculum tabernacle ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
5 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N 3RD DECL
6 descendebat was descending 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
7 columna column NOM.SG.F 1ST DECL
8 nubis of cloud GEN.SG.F 3RD DECL
9 et and CONJ
10 stabat was standing 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND 1ST CONJ
11 ad at PREP+ACC
12 ostium the entrance ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
13 loquebaturque and it was speaking 3SG.IMP.DEP.IND 3RD CONJ
14 cum with PREP+ABL
15 Moyse Moses ABL.SG.M 3RD DECL

Syntax

Ablative Absolute:
Ingresso autem illo tabernaculum fœderis — “when he had entered the tabernacle of the covenant”; perfect participle gives prior action.

Main Imperfect Clause 1:
descendebat columna nubis — repeated or customary divine action.

Main Imperfect Clause 2:
et stabat ad ostium — continued presence at the entrance.

Deponent Imperfect Clause:
loquebaturque cum Moyse — ongoing divine communication with Moses.

Morphology

  1. Ingresso — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: perfect participle ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having entered; Notes: expresses prior completed action preceding the divine descent.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: mild adversative; Translation: but; Notes: introduces narrative shift.
  3. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: subject of ablative absolute; Translation: that man / he; Notes: refers to Moses implicitly.
  4. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ingressus (implied by participle); Translation: tabernacle; Notes: tent of meeting outside the camp.
  5. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies tabernaculum; Translation: of the covenant; Notes: covenantal theme central in Exodus.
  6. descendebat — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main action; Translation: was descending; Notes: imperfect shows repeated divine action.
  7. columna — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of descendebat; Translation: column; Notes: theophanic cloud pillar.
  8. nubis — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies columna; Translation: of cloud; Notes: indicates appearance of YHWH’s presence.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins coordinated main clauses; Translation: and; Notes: standard coordination.
  10. stabat — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: describes enduring state; Translation: was standing; Notes: continued presence of the cloud.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: at; Notes: directional.
  12. ostium — Lemma: ostium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: the entrance; Notes: threshold area of the tent.
  13. loquebaturque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: 3rd person singular imperfect deponent indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and it was speaking; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  14. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: standard in speech formulas.
  15. Moyse — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: Moses; Notes: identifies the one addressed by YHWH in the cloud.

 

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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