Exodus 40:30

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 40:30 cum ingrederentur tectum fœderis, et accederent ad altare, sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi.

when they entered the tent of the covenant, and when they approached the altar, just as the LORD had commanded Moyses.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 cum when CONJ.SUBORD
2 ingrederentur they entered 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.DEP
3 tectum tent ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
4 fœderis of the covenant GEN.SG.N.3RD.DECL
5 et and CONJ
6 accederent they approached 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.ACT
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 altare altar ACC.SG.N.3RD.DECL
9 sicut just as CONJ.SUBORD
10 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
11 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M.2ND.DECL
12 Moysi to Moses DAT.SG.M.3RD.DECL

Syntax

Temporal Clause 1:
• cum ingrederentur tectum fœderis — “when they entered the tent of the covenant”
— ingrederentur: imperfect subjunctive, typical for temporal-clause description
— tectum fœderis: object + genitive descriptor

Coordinated Temporal Clause 2:
• et accederent ad altare — “and when they approached the altar”
— accederent: imperfect subjunctive
— ad altare: preposition + accusative expressing motion toward

Subordinate Conformity Clause:
• sicut præceperat Dominus Moysi — “just as the LORD had commanded Moses”
— præceperat: pluperfect verb
— Dominus = subject (referring to YHWH)
— Moysi = indirect object

Morphology

  1. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: regularly governs subjunctive in narrative time clauses.
  2. ingrederentur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive deponent; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: they entered; Notes: deponent form with active meaning.
  3. tectum — Lemma: tectum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: tent; Notes: here meaning the tabernacle structure.
  4. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 3rd declension; Function: genitive describing tectum; Translation: of the covenant; Notes: identifies the tent by its covenantal significance.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the two temporal clauses; Translation: and; Notes: links parallel ritual acts.
  6. accederent — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of second temporal clause; Translation: they approached; Notes: describes approach to a sacred object.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: to; Notes: marks approach direction.
  8. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 3rd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the bronze altar.
  9. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: just as; Notes: establishes conformity to divine command.
  10. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: marks prior divine instruction.
  11. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine 2nd declension; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  12. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine 3rd declension; Function: indirect object; Translation: to Moses; Notes: indicates the human recipient of divine command.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.