Exodus 25:17

Posted on March 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 25:17 Facies et propitiatorium de auro mundissimo: duos cubitos et dimidium tenebit longitudo eius, et cubitum ac semissem latitudo.

And you shall also make a mercy-seat of the purest gold: it shall be two cubits and a half in length, and a cubit and a half in width.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 et also CONJ
3 propitiatorium mercy-seat ACC.SG.N.NOUN.2ND DECL
4 de of / from PREP+ABL
5 auro gold ABL.SG.N.NOUN.2ND DECL
6 mundissimo most pure ABL.SG.N.ADJ.SUPER
7 duos two ACC.PL.M.ADJ
8 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M.NOUN.2ND DECL
9 et and CONJ
10 dimidium half ACC.SG.M.ADJ
11 tenebit it shall measure 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 longitudo length NOM.SG.F.NOUN.3RD DECL
13 eius its GEN.SG.PRON
14 et and CONJ
15 cubitum a cubit ACC.SG.M.NOUN.2ND DECL
16 ac and also CONJ
17 semissem a half ACC.SG.M.NOUN.3RD DECL
18 latitudo width NOM.SG.F.NOUN.3RD DECL

Syntax

Main command: Facies et propitiatorium issues the directive to construct the mercy-seat.
Material phrase: de auro mundissimo specifies that it must be made of the purest gold.
Measurement clause: duos cubitos et dimidium provides the total length in a compound numeral expression.
Main verb of measurement: tenebit longitudo eius expresses the dimension the mercy-seat will hold.
Parallel dimension: cubitum ac semissem latitudo provides the measure for width with a parallel structure.

Morphology

  1. Facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second singular future active indicative; Function: command; Translation: you shall make; Notes: introduces new construction instruction.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and / also; Notes: adds another commanded object.
  3. propitiatorium — Lemma: propitiatorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: mercy-seat; Notes: lid of the ark.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: of; Notes: introduces composition.
  5. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of material; Translation: gold; Notes: base material of mercy-seat.
  6. mundissimo — Lemma: mundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies auro; Translation: most pure; Notes: highest purity required.
  7. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: numeral modifier; Translation: two; Notes: begins measurement.
  8. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: unit of length; Translation: cubits; Notes: ancient measure.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects compound number; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  10. dimidium — Lemma: dimidius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: completes numeral; Translation: half; Notes: fractional addition.
  11. tenebit — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of measurement clause; Translation: it shall measure / it shall hold; Notes: idiomatic measure expression.
  12. longitudo — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: length; Notes: dimension being described.
  13. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive; Translation: its; Notes: refers to mercy-seat.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links parallel dimension; Translation: and; Notes: introduces width.
  15. cubitum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: measure; Translation: a cubit; Notes: base width unit.
  16. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: strengthens coordination; Translation: and also; Notes: emphatic.
  17. semissem — Lemma: semissis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: fractional addition; Translation: a half; Notes: parallels dimidium.
  18. latitudo — Lemma: latitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: width; Notes: second dimension.

 

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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