Exodus 40:12

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:12 Applicabisque Aaron et filios eius ad fores tabernaculi testimonii, et lotos aqua

And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony, and having washed them with water

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Applicabisque and you shall bring 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 Aaron Aaron ACC.SG.M.INDECL
3 et and CONJ
4 filios sons ACC.PL.M.2ND.DECL
5 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
6 ad to PREP+ACC
7 fores entrance ACC.PL.F.3RD.DECL
8 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL
9 testimonii of the testimony GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL
10 et and CONJ
11 lotos having washed PTCP.PERF.PASS.ACC.PL.M
12 aqua with water ABL.SG.F.1ST.DECL

Syntax

Main Verb:
• Applicabisque — main instruction, “you shall bring”
• Direct objects: Aaron et filios eius

Destination Phrase:
• ad fores tabernaculi testimonii — “to the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony”
• fores as plural “doorway / entrance area”

Participial Construction:
• lotos aqua — perfect passive participle + ablative of instrument
• Implies prior action: “and having washed them with water”

Morphology

  1. Applicabisque — Lemma: applico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of instruction; Translation: and you shall bring; Notes: enclitic -que connects with prior consecration instructions.
  2. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: direct object of applicabis; Translation: Aaron; Notes: indeclinable Hebrew name adopted into Latin.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates objects; Translation: and; Notes: links Aaron with his sons.
  4. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine 2nd declension; Function: second direct object; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to Aaron’s priestly sons.
  5. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of filios; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to Aaron.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: to; Notes: introduces destination.
  7. fores — Lemma: foris; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine 3rd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: entrance; Notes: plural form often denotes doorway or portal area.
  8. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: modifies fores; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: identifies which entrance.
  9. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: genitive in apposition; Translation: of the testimony; Notes: refers to the covenant tablets housed inside.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a second action; Translation: and; Notes: ties participial phrase to main command.
  11. lotos — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle accusative plural masculine; Function: agreeing with Aaron et filios eius; Translation: having washed; Notes: implies preparatory purification.
  12. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine 1st declension; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with water; Notes: ritual washing precedes investiture.

 

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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