Exodus 37:9

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:9 extendentes alas, et tegentes propitiatorium, seque mutuo et illud respicientes.

stretching out their wings and covering the propitiatory, and facing one another and it.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 extendentes stretching out PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
2 alas wings ACC.PL.F NOUN
3 et and CONJ
4 tegentes covering PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
5 propitiatorium the propitiatory ACC.SG.N NOUN
6 seque and each other ACC.PL PRON.REFL + ENCLITIC
7 mutuo mutually ADV
8 et and CONJ
9 illud it ACC.SG.N PRON.DEM
10 respicientes facing PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M

Syntax

Participial Chain Describing the Cherubim:
The nominative participles govern the entire description:

• extendentes alas — “stretching out their wings.”
• tegentes propitiatorium — “covering the propitiatory.”
• respicientes seque mutuo et illud — “facing each other and it.”

Reflexive Object:
• seque mutuo — “and one another mutually,” the -que joining se to the preceding action.

Demonstrative Object:
• illud refers to the propitiatorium.

Morphology

  1. extendentes — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: describes ongoing action of the Cherubim; Translation: stretching out; Notes: modifies the implicit subject “Cherubim.”
  2. alas — Lemma: ala; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of extendentes; Translation: wings; Notes: physical appendages used to overshadow the ark.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links parallel participles; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  4. tegentes — Lemma: tego; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: second participle in descriptive chain; Translation: covering; Notes: implies protective overshadowing.
  5. propitiatorium — Lemma: propitiatorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of tegentes; Translation: the propitiatory; Notes: the mercy seat above the ark.
  6. seque — Lemma: se + que; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun + enclitic conjunction; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of respicientes; Translation: and each other; Notes: enclitic -que means “and.”
  7. mutuo — Lemma: mutuo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies seque; Translation: mutually; Notes: expresses reciprocity.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links a second object to respicientes; Translation: and; Notes: connects illud to the mutual gazing.
  9. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: additional object of respicientes; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the propitiatory.
  10. respicientes — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: final participle in the descriptive chain; Translation: facing; Notes: indicates reverent posture.

 

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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