Exodus 40:29

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:29 Laveruntque Moyses et Aaron, ac filii eius manus suas et pedes,

And Moyses and Aaron, and his sons, washed their hands and their feet,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Laveruntque and they washed 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M.3RD.DECL
3 et and CONJ
4 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M.INDECL
5 ac and also CONJ
6 filii sons NOM.PL.M.2ND.DECL
7 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON.POSS
8 manus hands ACC.PL.F.4TH.DECL
9 suas their ACC.PL.F.PRON.REFL
10 et and CONJ
11 pedes feet ACC.PL.M.3RD.DECL

Syntax

Main Clause:
• Laveruntque Moyses et Aaron ac filii eius — compound subject + verb
— Laveruntque: perfect plural, “and they washed”
— Moyses et Aaron ac filii eius: coordinated nominative subjects

Direct Objects:
• manus suas et pedes
— manus suas: “their hands”
— pedes: “their feet”
— suas agrees with manus and refers reflexively back to the plural subject

Morphology

  1. Laveruntque — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and they washed; Notes: -que links this washing to the previous ritual preparations.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: named first, representing leadership in the ritual action.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links coordinated subjects; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  4. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine indeclinable; Function: subject; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Hebrew proper name preserved unchanged.
  5. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds stronger coordination; Translation: and also; Notes: often more emphatic than et.
  6. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine 2nd declension; Function: subject; Translation: sons; Notes: refers specifically to Aaron’s sons, the priestly line.
  7. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine possessive; Function: modifies filii; Translation: his; Notes: identifies the sons as belonging to Aaron.
  8. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine 4th declension; Function: direct object; Translation: hands; Notes: part of required priestly purification.
  9. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine reflexive; Function: modifies manus; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive returns possession to the plural subject group.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates two objects; Translation: and; Notes: joins manus suas with pedes.
  11. pedes — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: feet; Notes: completes the ritual washing formula.

 

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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