Cool Latin in the Vulgate

I love the way Latin deals with subordinate clauses. Often in vulgate Latin you find a whole string of subordinate clauses before you ever get to the main clause. For instance, in Psalm 149 we have:

6 Exaltationes Dei in gutture eorum,

et gladii ancipites in manibus eorum,

7 ad faciendam vindictam in nationibus,

castigationes in populis,

8 ad alligandos reges eorum in compedibus

et nobiles eorum in manicis ferreis,

9 ad faciendum in eis iudicium conscriptum.

Gloria haec est omnibus sanctis eius.

Literally:

Exaltations of God in their innards,

And a two edged sword in their hands,

Making vengeance on the nations,

Punishments on the people,

Binding their kings in shackles

And their nobles in iron manicles,

Carrying ou the written judgment on them.

This glory is to all his holy ones.

We find the same kind of thing in the Benedictus:

68 “ Benedictus Dominus, Deus Israel,

quia visitavit et fecit redemptionem plebi suae

69 et erexit cornu salutis nobis

in domo David pueri sui,

70 sicut locutus est per os sanctorum,

qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum eius,

71 salutem ex inimicis nostris

et de manu omnium, qui oderunt nos;

72 ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris

et memorari testamenti sui sancti,

73 iusiurandum, quod iuravit ad Abraham patrem nostrum,

daturum se nobis,

74 ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum liberati,

serviamus illi

75 in sanctitate et iustitia coram ipso

omnibus diebus nostris.

76 Et tu, puer, propheta Altissimi vocaberis:

praeibis enim ante faciem Domini parare vias eius,

77 ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi eius

in remissionem peccatorum eorum,

78 per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri,

in quibus visitabit nos oriens ex alto,

79 illuminare his, qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent,

ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis ”.

Note: This is only two sentences! Also note how the emphasis in the second sentence is somewhat different than the one we read in the English translation of the office. In English we say:

For you will be before the Lord to prepare his way,

Giving his people knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins.

Then a new sentence starts:

In the tender compassion of our God….

In the Latin the “In the tender compassion of our God” is related directly to the forgiveness of our sins. Thus:

Giving to their people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins

in the compassionate mercy of our God”

I like the connection being made clearer like that. It is then tied to dawning of light in the rest of the canticle.

Like I said, cool! J