Exodus 35:8

Posted on March 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 35:8 et oleum ad luminaria concinnanda, et ut conficiatur unguentum, et thymiama suavissimum,

and oil for the lamps to be prepared, and so that the ointment may be composed, and very sweet incense,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 oleum oil ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
3 ad for / toward PREP+ACC
4 luminaria lamps ACC.PL.N 2ND DECL
5 concinnanda to be prepared ACC.PL.N GERUNDV.FUT.PASS 1ST CONJ
6 et and CONJ
7 ut so that CONJ.SUBJ
8 conficiatur may be composed 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ 3RD CONJ
9 unguentum ointment ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
10 et and CONJ
11 thymiama incense ACC.SG.N 3RD DECL (Gk. loanword)
12 suavissimum very sweet ACC.SG.N ADJ.SUPER 1ST/2ND DECL

Syntax

Accusative Direct Objects in Material List:
oleum … unguentum … thymiama suavissimum
All stand in the accusative as items to be offered.

Purpose Construction with ad + Gerundive:
ad luminaria concinnanda — “for the lamps to be prepared.”
ad + gerundive expresses intention or suitability.

Purpose Clause with ut:
ut conficiatur unguentum — “so that the ointment may be composed.”
Passive subjunctive indicates the ritual action to be performed.

Adjectival Superlative:
thymiama suavissimum — “very sweet incense.”

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links list items; Translation: and; Notes: continues coordinated materials.
  2. oleum — Lemma: oleum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: item in offering list; Translation: oil; Notes: refers to olive oil for the lamps.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces purpose phrase; Translation: for; Notes: used with gerundive.
  4. luminaria — Lemma: luminare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: complement of ad; Translation: lamps; Notes: refers to the Menorah’s lamps.
  5. concinnanda — Lemma: concinnō; Part of Speech: gerundive (verbal adjective); Form: accusative plural neuter future passive gerundive; Function: expresses purpose (“to be prepared”); Translation: to be prepared; Notes: agrees with luminaria.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: and; Notes: links the next purpose.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: introduces subjunctive purpose clause; Function: expresses finality; Translation: so that; Notes: standard purpose marker.
  8. conficiatur — Lemma: conficiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present passive subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: may be composed; Notes: refers to preparing the holy ointment.
  9. unguentum — Lemma: unguentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of conficiatur; Translation: ointment; Notes: used for anointing the priests and vessels.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces final item; Translation: and; Notes: continuation of list.
  11. thymiama — Lemma: thymiama; Part of Speech: noun (Greek loanword); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: item in offering list; Translation: incense; Notes: refers to sacred incense used on the golden altar.
  12. suavissimum — Lemma: suavis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies thymiama; Translation: very sweet; Notes: expresses the finest quality of incense.

 

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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