Exodus 26:37

Posted on March 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 26:37 Et quinque columnas deaurabis lignorum setim, ante quas ducetur tentorium: quarum erunt capita aurea, et bases æneæ.

And you shall gild five columns of setim wood, before which the curtain shall be drawn; whose capitals shall be of gold, and whose bases shall be of bronze.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ, INDECL
2 quinque five INVAR, NUM.ADJ
3 columnas columns ACC.PL.F, NOUN, 1ST DECL
4 deaurabis you shall gild 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND, 1ST CONJ
5 lignorum of woods GEN.PL.N, NOUN, 2ND DECL
6 setim setim (acacia) GEN.PL.N, NOUN, INDECL (Hebrew loan)
7 ante before PREP+ACC
8 quas before which ACC.PL.F, PRON, REL
9 ducetur shall be drawn 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND, 3RD CONJ
10 tentorium curtain NOM.SG.N, NOUN, 2ND DECL
11 quarum whose GEN.PL.F, PRON, REL
12 erunt shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND, IRREG (sum)
13 capita capitals NOM.PL.N, NOUN, 3RD DECL
14 aurea golden NOM.PL.N, ADJ, 1ST/2ND DECL
15 et and CONJ, INDECL
16 bases bases NOM.PL.F, NOUN, 1ST DECL
17 æneæ bronze NOM.PL.F, ADJ, 1ST/2ND DECL

Syntax

Main command:
• Et quinque columnas deaurabis lignorum setim
— “And you shall gild five columns of setim wood”
— columns = direct object
— lignorum setim = genitive of material.

Relative clause of location:
• ante quas ducetur tentorium
— “before which the curtain shall be drawn”
— quas refers to the five columns
— ducetur = future passive, “shall be drawn / hung.”

Relative clause of possession:
• quarum erunt capita aurea
— “whose capitals shall be of gold”
— quarum refers to the columns.

Coordinated predicate:
• et bases æneæ
— “and bases of bronze.”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links to previous instructions.
  2. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: invariable; Function: modifies columnas; Translation: five; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  3. columnas — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: columns; Notes: structural pillars.
  4. deaurabis — Lemma: deauro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall gild; Notes: describes ritual craftsmanship.
  5. lignorum — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: genitive of material; Translation: of woods; Notes: refers to the wooden cores.
  6. setim — Lemma: setim; Part of Speech: noun (Hebrew loan); Form: genitive plural neuter, invariable; Function: specifies the type of wood; Translation: of setim wood; Notes: acacia wood used in cultic objects.
  7. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: before; Notes: marks forward orientation.
  8. quas — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of ante; Translation: which; Notes: refers to the columns.
  9. ducetur — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: shall be drawn; Notes: describes the position of the entrance curtain.
  10. tentorium — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of ducetur; Translation: curtain; Notes: entrance covering.
  11. quarum — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possessive relative; Translation: whose; Notes: refers to the columns.
  12. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: shall be; Notes: future description of construction.
  13. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject complement; Translation: capitals; Notes: upper part of pillars.
  14. aurea — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: modifies capita; Translation: golden; Notes: describes gilded finish.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects parallel elements; Translation: and; Notes: continues description.
  16. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject complement; Translation: bases; Notes: footings of the pillars.
  17. æneæ — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies bases; Translation: bronze; Notes: indicates metal composition.

 

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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