Exodus 40:4

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

4 et illata mensa, pones super eam quæ rite præcepta sunt. Candelabrum stabit cum lucernis suis,

and when the table has been brought in, you shall place upon it the things that have been duly commanded. The lampstand shall stand with its lamps,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 illata brought in PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.F
3 mensa table NOM.SG.F.1ST.DECL
4 pones you shall place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 super upon PREP+ACC
6 eam it ACC.SG.F.DEM
7 quæ the things which NOM.PL.N.REL
8 rite duly ADV
9 præcepta commanded PTCP.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.N
10 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
11 Candelabrum lampstand NOM.SG.N.2ND.DECL
12 stabit shall stand 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 cum with PREP+ABL
14 lucernis lamps ABL.PL.F.1ST.DECL
15 suis its ABL.PL.F.POSS

Syntax

Temporal Phrase: et illata mensa — nominative absolute-like participial expression (“and the table having been brought in”)
Main Clause 1: pones (Verb) + understood object from relative clause
Prepositional Phrase: super eam — location of placement
Relative Clause: quæ rite præcepta sunt — identifies items to be placed

Main Clause 2: Candelabrum stabit — independent declarative statement
Phrase: cum lucernis suis — accompaniment (“with its lamps”)

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates ritual actions.
  2. illata — Lemma: infero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies mensa; Translation: brought in; Notes: expresses prior completed action.
  3. mensa — Lemma: mensa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine 1st declension; Function: subject of participial phrase; Translation: table; Notes: refers to the table of the bread of the Presence.
  4. pones — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of instruction; Translation: you shall place; Notes: future indicative used imperatively.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses position above/on; Translation: upon; Notes: standard placement preposition.
  6. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the table.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: the things which; Notes: introduces specification.
  8. rite — Lemma: rite; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies participle; Translation: duly; Notes: denotes correct ritual performance.
  9. præcepta — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative plural neuter; Function: agrees with quæ; Translation: commanded; Notes: refers to items prescribed by divine instruction.
  10. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: completes relative clause; Translation: are; Notes: forms passive periphrastic with præcepta.
  11. Candelabrum — Lemma: candelabrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: subject of stabit; Translation: lampstand; Notes: seven-branched menorah.
  12. stabit — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall stand; Notes: expresses fixed placement.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: denotes what goes together with the lampstand.
  14. lucernis — Lemma: lucerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine 1st declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: lamps; Notes: refers to the seven lights of the menorah.
  15. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies lucernis; Translation: its; Notes: reflexive possession referring to the lampstand.

 

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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