Exodus 27:8

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

8 Non solidum, sed inane et cavum intrinsecus facies illud, sicut tibi in Monte monstratum est.

You shall make it not solid, but hollow and empty within, just as it was shown to you on the Mountain.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not ADV
2 solidum solid ACC.SG.N ADJ
3 sed but CONJ
4 inane empty NOM/ACC.SG.N ADJ
5 et and CONJ
6 cavum hollow ACC.SG.N ADJ
7 intrinsecus within ADV
8 facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 illud it ACC.SG.N PRON.DEM
10 sicut just as CONJ
11 tibi to you DAT.SG.2 PERS.PRON
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 Monte the Mount ABL.SG.M 3RD DECL
14 monstratum shown NOM/ACC.SG.N PTCP.PERF.PASS
15 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Predicate structure: The phrase Non solidum, sed inane et cavum intrinsecus forms a contrastive predicate complement describing how the object (illud) is to be made.
The main verb of the clause is facies, taking illud as its direct object.

Comparison clause: The clause introduced by sicut is comparative: sicut tibi in Monte monstratum est explains conformity to divine instruction.
The verb monstratum est is a passive perfect construction, with an implied subject “it” (i.e., the altar’s design).

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates solidum; Translation: “not”; Notes: sets up contrast with sed.
  2. solidum — Lemma: solidus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate complement of illud; Translation: “solid”; Notes: describes how the altar should not be made.
  3. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: strong adversative.
  4. inane — Lemma: inanis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “empty”; Notes: pairs with cavum.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: additive; Function: links adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  6. cavum — Lemma: cavus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective describing illud; Translation: “hollow”; Notes: describes internal structure.
  7. intrinsecus — Lemma: intrinsecus; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies cavum/inane; Translation: “within”; Notes: emphasizes internal hollowness.
  8. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you shall make”; Notes: imperatival future.
  9. illud — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: “it”; Notes: refers to the altar.
  10. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: “just as”; Notes: links construction to divine pattern.
  11. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of monstratum est; Translation: “to you”; Notes: addressed to Moses.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: spatial reference.
  13. Monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “the Mountain”; Notes: Mount Sinai.
  14. monstratum — Lemma: monstro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: part of passive verb phrase; Translation: “shown”; Notes: refers to the revealed pattern.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: auxiliary of perfect passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: completes passive construction.

 

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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