Exodus 26:21

Posted on March 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 26:21 quadraginta habentes bases argenteas. binæ bases singulis tabulis supponentur.

having forty silver bases. Two bases shall be placed beneath each board.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quadraginta forty INVAR, NUM.ADJ
2 habentes having NOM.PL.F, PTCP.PRES.ACT, 2ND CONJ
3 bases bases ACC.PL.F, NOUN, 3RD DECL
4 argenteas silver ACC.PL.F, ADJ, 1ST/2ND DECL
5 binæ two each NOM.PL.F, NUM.ADJ (distributive)
6 bases bases NOM.PL.F, NOUN, 3RD DECL
7 singulis for each DAT.PL.F, ADJ/PRON
8 tabulis boards DAT.PL.F, NOUN, 1ST DECL
9 supponentur shall be placed beneath 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND, 3RD CONJ

Syntax

Participial phrase:
• quadraginta habentes bases argenteas — “having forty silver bases”
— modifies the twenty boards mentioned previously
— habentes takes bases argenteas as its object

Main clause:
• binæ bases … supponentur — “two bases shall be placed beneath”
— binæ = distributive numeral (“two each”)
— singulis tabulis = dative of advantage (“for each board”)
— supponentur = future passive indicative

Morphology

  1. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: invariable; Function: modifies bases; Translation: forty; Notes: indeclinable cardinal numeral.
  2. habentes — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine present active participle; Function: modifies the boards; Translation: having; Notes: descriptive possession.
  3. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of habentes; Translation: bases; Notes: refers to the silver sockets.
  4. argenteas — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies bases; Translation: silver; Notes: denotes material.
  5. binæ — Lemma: bini; Part of Speech: distributive numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of supponentur; Translation: two each; Notes: distributives express “two for each item.”
  6. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of supponentur; Translation: bases; Notes: refers again to the silver sockets placed beneath the boards.
  7. singulis — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: distributive adjective/pronoun; Form: dative plural feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: for each; Notes: indicates one board at a time.
  8. tabulis — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: boards; Notes: the boards upon which the bases are set.
  9. supponentur — Lemma: suppono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall be placed beneath; Notes: describes construction procedure.

 

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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