Exodus 34:5

Posted on March 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 34:5 Cumque descendisset Dominus per nubem, stetit Moyses cum eo, invocans nomen Domini.

And when the LORD had come down in the cloud, Moyses stood with Him, calling upon the name of the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ + ENCLITIC
2 descendisset had come down 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ 3RD CONJ
3 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 per through PREP+ACC
5 nubem cloud ACC.SG.F 3RD DECL
6 stetit stood 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND IRREG
7 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M INDECL
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 eo him ABL.SG.M PRON
10 invocans calling upon PRES.ACT.PTCP NOM.SG.M 1ST CONJ
11 nomen name ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL
12 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M 2ND DECL

Syntax

Temporal Clause:
Cumque descendisset Dominus per nubem — “And when the LORD had come down through the cloud,” using pluperfect subjunctive in a temporal construction.

Main Clause:
stetit Moyses cum eo — “Moses stood with Him.”
stetit = perfect active;
cum eo = accompaniment.

Participial Circumstance:
invocans nomen Domini — “calling upon the name of the LORD.”
Circumstantial participle describing Moses’ action while standing.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction with enclitic; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: enclitic binds to the preceding narrative flow.
  2. descendisset — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: had come down; Notes: subjunctive required after cum in temporal narration.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of descendisset; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses means; Translation: through; Notes: indicates the medium of descent.
  5. nubem — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: cloud; Notes: symbol of divine presence.
  6. stetit — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: stood; Notes: describes Moses’ posture before the LORD.
  7. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of stetit; Translation: Moses; Notes: indeclinable in Latin.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: expresses presence with the LORD.
  9. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: him; Notes: refers to the LORD.
  10. invocans — Lemma: invoco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: calling upon; Notes: describes Moses’ devotional action.
  11. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of invocans; Translation: name; Notes: idiomatically means invoking God’s identity.
  12. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: denotes the divine Name.

 

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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