Exodus 27:17

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:17 Omnes columnæ atrii per circuitum vestitæ erunt argenteis laminis, capitibus argenteis, et basibus æneis.

All the columns of the court all around shall be covered with silver plates, with silver capitals, and with bronze bases.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnes all NOM.PL.F ADJ
2 columnæ columns NOM.PL.F 1ST DECL
3 atrii of the court GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
4 per around / through PREP+ACC
5 circuitum the circuit / circumference ACC.SG.M 4TH DECL
6 vestitæ covered NOM.PL.F PTCP.PERF.PASS
7 erunt shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
8 argenteis silver ABL.PL.F ADJ
9 laminis plates ABL.PL.F 3RD DECL
10 capitibus capitals ABL.PL.N 3RD DECL
11 argenteis silver ABL.PL.N ADJ
12 et and CONJ
13 basibus bases ABL.PL.F 3RD DECL
14 æneis bronze ABL.PL.F ADJ

Syntax

Main clause: The subject is Omnes columnæ atrii (“all the columns of the court”).
The adverbial phrase per circuitum expresses the perimeter arrangement (“all around”).
The verb erunt governs the predicate participle vestitæ (“shall be covered”).

Instrumental/Material phrases:
— argenteis laminis (“with silver plates”)
— capitibus argenteis (“with silver capitals”)
— basibus æneis (“with bronze bases”)
All three ablative phrases express the materials covering the columns.

Morphology

  1. Omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies columnæ; Translation: “all”; Notes: distributive over every column.
  2. columnæ — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject; Translation: “columns”; Notes: structural pillars of the court.
  3. atrii — Lemma: atrium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the court”; Notes: identifies which columns.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates distribution around perimeter; Translation: “around”; Notes: spatial marker.
  5. circuitum — Lemma: circuitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 4th declension; Function: object of per; Translation: “circuit / circumference”; Notes: denotes ring-like enclosure.
  6. vestitæ — Lemma: vestio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate with erunt; Translation: “covered”; Notes: describes the exterior finish of the columns.
  7. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: forms periphrastic future with participle.
  8. argenteis — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies laminis; Translation: “silver”; Notes: indicates material covering.
  9. laminis — Lemma: lamina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: ablative of instrument/material; Translation: “plates”; Notes: thin metal sheets.
  10. capitibus — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of accompaniment/material; Translation: “capitals”; Notes: the top pieces of columns.
  11. argenteis — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies capitibus; Translation: “silver”; Notes: matching the silver plating.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the final ablative phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive.
  13. basibus — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of instrument/material; Translation: “bases”; Notes: structural sockets.
  14. æneis — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies basibus; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: bronze foundation pieces.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.