Exodus 40:24

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:24 Posuit et altare aureum sub tecto testimonii contra velum,

And he placed the golden altar under the covering of the testimony, opposite the veil,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Posuit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 altare altar ACC.SG.N.3RD.DECL
4 aureum golden ACC.SG.N.ADJ.POS
5 sub under PREP+ABL
6 tecto covering ABL.SG.N.2ND.DECL
7 testimonii of the testimony GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL
8 contra opposite PREP+ACC
9 velum veil ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL

Syntax

Main Clause:
• Posuit altare aureum — main verb + object
— altare = head noun
— aureum = attributive adjective

Spatial Phrase #1:
• sub tecto testimonii — “under the covering of the testimony”
— tecto = ablative object of sub
— testimonii = genitive modifying tecto

Spatial Phrase #2:
• contra velum — “opposite the veil”
— velum = object of contra

Morphology

  1. Posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he placed; Notes: continues the installation of liturgical objects.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective; Translation: and; Notes: joins this action with earlier steps.
  3. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the incense altar.
  4. aureum — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter positive degree; Function: modifies altare; Translation: golden; Notes: emphasizes its sacred material.
  5. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location beneath; Translation: under; Notes: spatial relation within the sanctuary.
  6. tecto — Lemma: tectum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: object of sub; Translation: covering; Notes: likely refers to the tent covering or roof section of the holy place.
  7. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: modifies tecto; Translation: of the testimony; Notes: identifies the sacred area associated with the covenant.
  8. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses facing/opposition; Translation: opposite; Notes: marks orientation toward the veil.
  9. velum — Lemma: velum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: object of contra; Translation: veil; Notes: the inner curtain before the Holy of Holies.

 

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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