Exodus 27:15

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:15 et in latere altero erunt tentoria cubitos obtinentia quindecim, columnæ tres, et bases totidem.

and on the other side there shall be hangings measuring fifteen cubits, with three columns and as many bases.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 in on PREP+ABL
3 latere side ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
4 altero other ABL.SG.N ADJ
5 erunt there shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 tentoria hangings NOM.PL.N 2ND DECL
7 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M 4TH DECL
8 obtinentia holding/measuring NOM.PL.N PTCP.PRES.ACT
9 quindecim fifteen INVAR.NUM
10 columnæ columns NOM.PL.F 1ST DECL
11 tres three NOM.PL.F NUM
12 et and CONJ
13 bases bases NOM.PL.F 3RD DECL
14 totidem as many INVAR.ADJ

Syntax

Locative phrase: in latere altero specifies the opposite (second) side of the eastern width described previously.

Main clause: erunt tentoria introduces the hangings on that side.
The participial phrase cubitos obtinentia quindecim describes their measured length, literally “holding fifteen cubits.”

Coordinated nominal clause:
columnæ tres and bases totidem list the structural elements accompanying that side—three columns and an equal number of bases.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links to previous clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “on”; Notes: spatial marker.
  3. latere — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “side”; Notes: architectural direction.
  4. altero — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies latere; Translation: “other”; Notes: second of two.
  5. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “there shall be”; Notes: introduces hangings.
  6. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter, 2nd declension; Function: subject; Translation: “hangings”; Notes: linen screens.
  7. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 4th declension; Function: object of obtinentia; Translation: “cubits”; Notes: expresses the measure held.
  8. obtinentia — Lemma: obtineo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter present active participle; Function: modifies tentoria; Translation: “holding/measuring”; Notes: expresses measurement.
  9. quindecim — Lemma: quindecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies cubitos; Translation: “fifteen”; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  10. columnæ — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject of implied verb; Translation: “columns”; Notes: structural elements.
  11. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies columnæ; Translation: “three”; Notes: cardinal number.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive.
  13. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, 3rd declension; Function: subject of implied verb; Translation: “bases”; Notes: column foundations.
  14. totidem — Lemma: totidem; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: invariable; Function: modifies bases; Translation: “as many”; Notes: indicates equal number to columns.

 

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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