13 Facies et uncinos ex auro,
And you shall make hooks of gold,
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Facies |
you shall make |
2SG.FUT.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ |
| 2 |
et |
and |
CONJ |
| 3 |
uncinos |
hooks |
ACC.PL.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN |
| 4 |
ex |
from |
PREP+ABL |
| 5 |
auro |
gold |
ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN |
Syntax
Main clause:
Facies — future directive addressed to Moses.
uncinos — direct object.
ex auro — ablative of material (“from gold”).
et — links this instruction to the previous construction directives.
Morphology
- Facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: you shall make; Notes: continues the series of commands for constructing priestly garments and ornaments.
- et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins this instruction to the ongoing list; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
- uncinos — Lemma: uncinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: direct object of facies; Translation: hooks; Notes: refers to golden hooks used in fastening the ephod or its components.
- ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: from; Notes: indicates the substance from which the hooks are formed.
- auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of ex; Translation: gold; Notes: standard material ablative describing composition.
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.