Exodus 27:9

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:9 Facies et atrium tabernaculi, in cuius australi plaga contra meridiem erunt tentoria de bysso retorta: centum cubitos unum latus tenebit in longitudine.

And you shall make also the court of the tabernacle: on its southern side, facing toward the south, the hangings of twisted linen shall be; one side shall measure one hundred cubits in length.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 atrium court ACC.SG.N 2ND DECL
4 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
5 in in PREP+GEN
6 cuius whose/of which GEN.SG.M/F/N PRON.REL
7 australi southern ABL.SG.F ADJ
8 plaga side ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL
9 contra toward PREP+ACC
10 meridiem south ACC.SG.M 3RD DECL
11 erunt shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
12 tentoria hangings NOM.PL.N 2ND DECL
13 de of/from PREP+ABL
14 bysso fine linen ABL.SG.F 1ST DECL
15 retorta twisted ABL.SG.F PTCP.PERF.PASS
16 centum one hundred INVAR.NUM
17 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M 4TH DECL
18 unum one ACC.SG.N ADJ
19 latus side NOM/ACC.SG.N 4TH DECL
20 tenebit shall hold 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
21 in in PREP+ABL
22 longitudine length ABL.SG.F 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main clause: Facies … atrium tabernaculi forms the central construction command.

Relative clause: in cuius australi plaga introduces the location of the south side of the court.
The directional phrase contra meridiem strengthens the orientation.
The verb erunt governs the subject tentoria (“hangings”).

Measurement clause: centum cubitos expresses the length.
The phrase unum latus is the subject of tenebit (“one side shall measure”).
The prepositional phrase in longitudine marks the dimension being described.

Morphology

  1. Facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you shall make”; Notes: imperatival future.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive.
  3. atrium — Lemma: atrium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: “court”; Notes: courtyard structure.
  4. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the tabernacle”; Notes: identifies what the court surrounds.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs genitive via cuius; Function: introduces relative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: idiomatic with relative pronouns.
  6. cuius — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies plaga; Translation: “whose/of which”; Notes: refers to the court.
  7. australi — Lemma: australis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies plaga; Translation: “southern”; Notes: indicates direction.
  8. plaga — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “side”; Notes: region of the court.
  9. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: “toward”; Notes: reinforces orientation.
  10. meridiem — Lemma: meridies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of contra; Translation: “south”; Notes: direction reference.
  11. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person plural; Function: main verb of description; Translation: “they shall be”; Notes: refers to tent-hangings.
  12. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter, 2nd declension; Function: subject of erunt; Translation: “hangings”; Notes: linen screens.
  13. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: “of”; Notes: describes composition.
  14. bysso — Lemma: byssus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of de; Translation: “fine linen”; Notes: material used.
  15. retorta — Lemma: retorqueo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies bysso; Translation: “twisted”; Notes: describes processing.
  16. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies cubitos; Translation: “one hundred”; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  17. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 4th declension; Function: measure of length; Translation: “cubits”; Notes: standard ancient measure.
  18. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies latus; Translation: “one”; Notes: identifies a single side.
  19. latus — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter, 4th declension; Function: subject of tenebit; Translation: “side”; Notes: architectural feature.
  20. tenebit — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person singular; Function: verb of measurement; Translation: “shall hold/measure”; Notes: expresses extent.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: dimension phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: marks context of length.
  22. longitudine — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “length”; Notes: dimension being measured.

 

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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