Exodus 34:23

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 34:23 Tribus temporibus anni apparebit omne masculinum tuum in conspectu omnipotentis Domini Dei Israel.

Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Almighty LORD, the God of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tribus three ABL.PL.INDECL.NUM
2 temporibus times / seasons ABL.PL.N 3RD DECL
3 anni of the year GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 apparebit shall appear 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND 2ND CONJ
5 omne every / all NOM.SG.N ADJ 3RD DECL
6 masculinum male (individual) NOM.SG.N ADJ 2ND DECL
7 tuum your NOM.SG.N POSS.ADJ
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 conspectu in the presence / sight ABL.SG.M 4TH DECL
10 omnipotentis almighty GEN.SG.M/F ADJ 3RD DECL
11 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
12 Dei of God GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL
13 Israel Israel GEN.SG.INDECL

Syntax

Temporal Frame:
Tribus temporibus anni
• Ablative of time → “three times in the year.”

Main Clause:
apparebit omne masculinum tuum
• apparebit = future legal requirement (“shall appear”).
• omne masculinum tuum = subject phrase (“all your male [persons]”).

Prepositional Phrase:
in conspectu omnipotentis Domini Dei Israel
• A cultic formula meaning “in the presence of the Almighty LORD, the God of Israel.”

Morphology

  1. Tribus — Lemma: trēs; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: ablative plural; Function: modifies temporibus; Translation: three; Notes: expresses frequency of pilgrimage.
  2. temporibus — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of time; Translation: times; Notes: the three pilgrimage festivals.
  3. anni — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies temporibus; Translation: of the year; Notes: defines the yearly cycle.
  4. apparebit — Lemma: appareō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall appear; Notes: technical verb for appearing before YHWH.
  5. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: part of the subject; Translation: all / every; Notes: neuter used collectively.
  6. masculinum — Lemma: masculinus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: noun describing male individuals; Translation: male; Notes: refers to all adult males obligated to appear.
  7. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies masculinum; Translation: your; Notes: refers to Israel collectively.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: standard cultic construction.
  9. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine (4th declension); Function: object of in; Translation: presence / sight; Notes: traditional expression of divine audience.
  10. omnipotentis — Lemma: omnipotens; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine/feminine; Function: modifies Domini Dei Israel; Translation: almighty; Notes: emphasizes sovereignty.
  11. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: here refers to YHWH, translated as LORD.
  12. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies Domini; Translation: of God; Notes: appositional genitive.
  13. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular indeclinable; Function: modifies Dei; Translation: of Israel; Notes: identifies YHWH as covenant God.

 

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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