Exodus 27:5

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:5 quos pones subter arulam altaris: eritque craticula usque ad altaris medium.

which you shall place beneath the little frame of the altar; and the grating shall reach up to the middle of the altar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quos which ACC.PL.M PRON.REL
2 pones you shall place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 subter under PREP+ACC
4 arulam little frame ACC.SG.F 1ST DECL
5 altaris of the altar GEN.SG.N 3RD DECL
6 eritque and it shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 craticula the grating NOM.SG.F 1ST DECL
8 usque up to PREP+ACC
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 altaris of the altar GEN.SG.N 3RD DECL
11 medium middle ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL

Syntax

Relative clause: quos introduces the clause and refers back to the rings.
The verb pones governs quos as its object.
The prepositional phrase subter arulam altaris specifies placement beneath the altar’s projecting frame.

Main clause: craticula is the subject of erit.
The phrase usque ad altaris medium expresses extent (“up to the middle of the altar”).

Morphology

  1. quos — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of pones; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to the four rings.
  2. pones — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you shall place”; Notes: construction instruction.
  3. subter — Lemma: subter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates position beneath; Translation: “under”; Notes: spatial preposition.
  4. arulam — Lemma: arula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of subter; Translation: “little frame”; Notes: diminutive of ara.
  5. altaris — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the altar”; Notes: describes what the frame belongs to.
  6. eritque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person singular with enclitic –que; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “and it shall be”; Notes: future of existence.
  7. craticula — Lemma: craticula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of erit; Translation: “the grating”; Notes: same object described previously.
  8. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: preposition/adverb; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses extent; Translation: “up to”; Notes: always paired with ad for limits.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates goal/limit; Translation: “to”; Notes: completes boundary expression.
  10. altaris — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: descriptive genitive; Translation: “of the altar”; Notes: modifies medium.
  11. medium — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: noun/adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: “middle”; Notes: final point of extent.

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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