Exodus 34:3

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 34:3 Nullus ascendat tecum, nec videatur quispiam per totum montem: boves quoque et oves non pascantur econtra.

No one shall go up with you, nor shall anyone be seen throughout the entire mountain; and cattle likewise and sheep shall not graze opposite it.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nullus no one NOM.SG.M INDEF.PRON
2 ascendat shall go up 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ 1ST CONJ
3 tecum with you ABL.SG.2ND.PERS PRON + CUM
4 nec nor CONJ
5 videatur shall be seen 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ 2ND CONJ
6 quispiam anyone NOM.SG.M INDEF.PRON
7 per throughout PREP+ACC
8 totum entire ACC.SG.M ADJ
9 montem mountain ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL
10 boves cattle NOM.PL.M 3RD DECL
11 quoque also ADV
12 et and CONJ
13 oves sheep NOM.PL.F 3RD DECL
14 non not ADV
15 pascantur shall graze 3PL.PRES.PASS.SUBJ 1ST CONJ
16 econtra opposite ADV

Syntax

Prohibition 1:
Nullus ascendat tecum — “No one shall go up with you.”
Subjunctive ascendat expresses a strong divine prohibition.

Prohibition 2:
nec videatur quispiam per totum montem — “nor shall anyone be seen throughout the entire mountain.”
videatur = passive subjunctive;
quispiam = indefinite subject.

Prohibition 3:
boves quoque et oves non pascantur econtra — “and cattle likewise and sheep shall not graze opposite it.”
pascantur = passive subjunctive; divine restriction on animals near the sacred area.

Morphology

  1. Nullus — Lemma: nullus; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: no one; Notes: absolute prohibition.
  2. ascendat — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: negative command; Translation: shall go up; Notes: jussive subjunctive.
  3. tecum — Lemma: tu + cum; Part of Speech: pronoun + enclitic; Form: ablative singular; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: refers to Moses.
  4. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces second prohibition; Translation: nor; Notes: pairs clauses.
  5. videatur — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present passive subjunctive; Function: jussive; Translation: shall be seen; Notes: emphasizes invisibility of humans on the mountain.
  6. quispiam — Lemma: quispiam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of videatur; Translation: anyone; Notes: strengthens the universality of the ban.
  7. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses extent; Translation: throughout; Notes: spatial scope.
  8. totum — Lemma: totus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies montem; Translation: entire; Notes: emphatic totality.
  9. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of per; Translation: mountain; Notes: refers to Sinai.
  10. boves — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of pascantur; Translation: cattle; Notes: domestic animals included in prohibition.
  11. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds cattle to previous subjects; Translation: also; Notes: emphasizes inclusion.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links boves with oves; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  13. oves — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of pascantur; Translation: sheep; Notes: parallel to boves.
  14. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates pascantur; Translation: not; Notes: part of divine prohibition.
  15. pascantur — Lemma: pasco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present passive subjunctive; Function: jussive prohibition; Translation: shall graze; Notes: divine restriction on animals.
  16. econtra — Lemma: econtra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: locative; Translation: opposite; Notes: specifies spatial restriction.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.