Ex 40:6 et ante illud altare holocausti:
and before it, the altar of burnt offering;
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
et |
and |
CONJ |
| 2 |
ante |
before |
PREP+ACC |
| 3 |
illud |
it |
ACC.SG.N.DEM |
| 4 |
altare |
altar |
ACC.SG.N.3RD.DECL |
| 5 |
holocausti |
of burnt offering |
GEN.SG.N.2ND.DECL |
Syntax
Phrasal Unit: ante illud — prepositional phrase marking orientation
Noun Phrase: altare holocausti — direct object in context, specifying which altar
Implicit Verb: pones carries over from preceding verse
Morphology
- et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links to previous instruction; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates ritual placement actions.
- ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses spatial position; Translation: before; Notes: indicates placement relative to the sanctuary veil area.
- illud — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ante; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the veil arrangement just described.
- altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter 3rd declension; Function: object of the implied verb pones; Translation: altar; Notes: specifically the altar for burnt offerings located in the courtyard.
- holocausti — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter 2nd declension; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of burnt offering; Notes: identifies the altar’s sacrificial function.
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.