Exodus 26:3

Posted on March 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 26:3 Quinque cortinæ sibi iungentur mutuo, et aliæ quinque nexu simili cohærebunt.

Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five shall be connected with a similar fastening.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quinque five INVAR, NUM.ADJ
2 cortinæ curtains NOM.PL.F, NOUN, 1ST DECL
3 sibi to themselves DAT.PL.C, PRON.REFL
4 iungentur shall be joined 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND, 3RD CONJ
5 mutuo mutually ADV, INDECL
6 et and CONJ, INDECL
7 aliæ the other NOM.PL.F, ADJ, 1ST DECL
8 quinque five INVAR, NUM.ADJ
9 nexu with a fastening ABL.SG.M, NOUN, 4TH DECL
10 simili similar ABL.SG.M, ADJ, 3RD DECL
11 cohærebunt shall cling / shall be fastened 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND, 2ND CONJ

Syntax

First clause:
Subject: Quinque cortinæ
Indirect reflexive pronoun: sibi — “to one another”
Verb: iungentur — passive future “shall be joined”
Adverb: mutuo — describes reciprocal action

Second clause:
Subject: aliæ quinque
Ablative of means: nexu simili — “with a similar fastening”
Verb: cohærebunt — “shall cling / shall adhere”
Coordination: clause linked by et forming a parallel instruction

Morphology

  1. Quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: invariable; Function: quantifier of cortinæ; Translation: five; Notes: classical numeral with no case change.
  2. cortinæ — Lemma: cortina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of first clause; Translation: curtains; Notes: repeated for structural symmetry in tabernacle description.
  3. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: reciprocal dative (“to one another”); Translation: to themselves; Notes: expresses mutual joining.
  4. iungentur — Lemma: iungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future passive indicative; Function: main verb of first clause; Translation: shall be joined; Notes: passive used for instructions on construction.
  5. mutuo — Lemma: mutuo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverb modifying iungentur; Translation: mutually; Notes: strengthens reciprocal idea expressed by sibi.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins parallel clauses; Translation: and; Notes: strong coordination marker.
  7. aliæ — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of second clause; Translation: the other; Notes: distinguishes the second set of curtains.
  8. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: invariable; Function: numeral modifying aliæ; Translation: five; Notes: forms parallel construction with first clause.
  9. nexu — Lemma: nexus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with a fastening; Notes: describes the joining mechanism.
  10. simili — Lemma: similis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine/feminine/neuter; Function: agrees with nexu; Translation: similar; Notes: indicates uniformity of craftsmanship.
  11. cohærebunt — Lemma: cohæreō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: shall be connected / shall adhere; Notes: expresses active mutual linkage.

 

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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