Exodus 40:13

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:13 indues sanctis vestibus, ut ministrent mihi, et unctio eorum in sacerdotium sempiternum proficiat.

you shall clothe them with the holy garments, so that they may minister to Me, and may their anointing advance to an everlasting priesthood.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 indues you shall clothe 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 sanctis holy ABL.PL.N/ADJ.POS
3 vestibus garments ABL.PL.F.3RD.DECL
4 ut so that CONJ.SUBORD
5 ministrent they may minister 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
6 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 unctio anointing NOM.SG.F.3RD.DECL
9 eorum of them GEN.PL.M.PRON
10 in into PREP+ACC
11 sacerdotium priesthood ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
12 sempiternum everlasting ACC.SG.N.POS
13 proficat may advance 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause:
• indues sanctis vestibus — “you shall clothe (them) with the holy garments”
• sanctis vestibus = ablative of instrument / means

Purpose Clause 1:
• ut ministrent mihi — “so that they may minister to me”
• ministrent = subjunctive of purpose

Coordinated Clause:
• et unctio eorum … proficiat
— “and may their anointing advance to an everlasting priesthood”

Prepositional Phrase:
• in sacerdotium sempiternum — expresses final outcome/direction

Morphology

  1. indues — Lemma: induo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: you shall clothe; Notes: continues ritual preparation instructions.
  2. sanctis — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter/feminine; Function: modifies vestibus; Translation: holy; Notes: refers to priestly vestments.
  3. vestibus — Lemma: vestis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine 3rd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: garments; Notes: refers to sacred linen garments.
  4. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: so that; Notes: governs subjunctive verb.
  5. ministrent — Lemma: ministro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they may minister; Notes: expresses intended priestly service.
  6. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular 1st person; Function: indirect object; Translation: to me; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links second clause; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates two purposes.
  8. unctio — Lemma: unctio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine 3rd declension; Function: subject of proficat; Translation: anointing; Notes: refers to priestly consecration anointing.
  9. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies unctio; Translation: of them; Notes: referring to Aaron and his sons.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative here; Function: expresses direction toward goal/result; Translation: into; Notes: indicates progression toward priesthood.
  11. sacerdotium — Lemma: sacerdotium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: priesthood; Notes: the office conferred through anointing.
  12. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies sacerdotium; Translation: everlasting; Notes: emphasizes perpetual continuity.
  13. proficat — Lemma: proficio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of second purpose clause; Translation: may advance; Notes: expresses development into a perpetual priesthood.

 

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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