Exodus 34:34

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 34:34 Quod ingressus ad Dominum, et loquens cum eo, auferebat donec exiret, et tunc loquebatur ad filios Israel omnia quæ sibi fuerant imperata.

For when he went in to the LORD and was speaking with Him, he would remove it until he went out, and then he would speak to the sons of Israel all the things which had been commanded to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod because / for CONJ
2 ingressus having entered NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.ACT (DEP) 3RD CONJ
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Dominum the LORD ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
5 et and CONJ
6 loquens speaking NOM.SG.M PTCP.PRES.ACT 3RD CONJ
7 cum with PREP+ABL
8 eo him ABL.SG.M PERS.PRON
9 auferebat he would remove 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ
10 donec until CONJ
11 exiret he went out 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ 4TH CONJ
12 et and CONJ
13 tunc then ADV
14 loquebatur he would speak 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND (DEP) 3RD CONJ
15 ad to PREP+ACC
16 filios sons ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL
17 Israel Israel GEN.SG.INDECL
18 omnia all things ACC.PL.N ADJ
19 quæ which NOM.PL.N REL.PRON
20 sibi to him DAT.SG.M REFLEX.PRON
21 fuerant had been 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND
22 imperata commanded NOM.PL.N PTCP.PERF.PASS 1ST CONJ

Syntax

Causal–Temporal Introduction:
Quod ingressus ad Dominum et loquens cum eo
• Quod = explanatory “for / because.”
• ingressus + loquens = coordinated participles describing Moses’s actions when entering the presence of the LORD.

Main Action of First Clause:
auferebat … donec exiret
• auferebat = imperfect → repeated customary action (“he used to remove it”).
• donec exiret = subjunctive because action is anticipated/purpose-like.

Main Action of Second Clause:
et tunc loquebatur ad filios Israel
• Imperfect loquebatur = habitual repeated instruction.
• ad filios Israel = indirect object of public proclamation.

Relative Clause:
omnia quæ sibi fuerant imperata — “all the things which had been commanded to him.”
• imperata in passive perfect participle agrees with omnia.
• sibi = indirect object (to Moses).

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces explanatory clause; Translation: for / because; Notes: common Vulgate connective.
  2. ingressus — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect active participle; Function: circumstantial modifier referring to Moses; Translation: having entered; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: to; Notes: points toward the LORD’s presence.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH → must be translated as “LORD.”
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links participles; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  6. loquens — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial; Translation: speaking; Notes: describes simultaneous action with ingressus.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: standard.
  8. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: him; Notes: refers to the LORD.
  9. auferebat — Lemma: auferō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb (habitual action); Translation: he would remove; Notes: implies repeated practice.
  10. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal limit; Translation: until; Notes: often takes subjunctive when referring to anticipated event.
  11. exiret — Lemma: exeō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: he went out; Notes: subjunctive reflects the anticipated event.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces subsequent action; Translation: and; Notes: sequential connector.
  13. tunc — Lemma: tunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal indicator; Translation: then; Notes: marks shift from private to public speech.
  14. loquebatur — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he would speak; Notes: imperfect = repeated customary teaching.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks addressees; Translation: to; Notes: direct discourse direction.
  16. filios — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to the people of Israel.
  17. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular indeclinable; Function: modifies filios; Translation: of Israel; Notes: indeclinable Hebrew name.
  18. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of loquebatur; Translation: all things; Notes: neuter plural used substantively.
  19. quæ — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of fuerant imperata; Translation: which; Notes: agrees with neuter plural omnia.
  20. sibi — Lemma: sē; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers back to Moses.
  21. fuerant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural pluperfect active indicative; Function: auxiliary of passive periphrasis; Translation: had been; Notes: forms pluperfect passive with participle.
  22. imperata — Lemma: imperō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: completes passive verb phrase; Translation: commanded; Notes: agrees with omnia.

 

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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