Exodus 28:19

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

19 in tertio ligurius, achates, et amethystus:

In the third, a ligurius, an agate, and an amethyst;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 in in PREP+ABL
2 tertio third ABL.SG.M, ADJ, POS
3 ligurius ligurius NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
4 achates agate NOM.SG.M, 3RD DECL, NOUN
5 et and CONJ
6 amethystus amethyst NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN

Syntax

Locative phrase: in tertio — ablative phrase “in the third [row],” with the noun for “row” understood from the previous context.

Nominative gemstone list: ligurius achates et amethystus — three coordinated nominative nouns functioning as the stones assigned to the third row, with an implied verb “there shall be” carried over from the pattern of the preceding verses.

Morphology

  1. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative; Function: introduces a prepositional phrase of location; Translation: in; Notes: marks the position of this set of stones within the breastpiece.
  2. tertio — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative singular masculine, positive degree; Function: modifies an implied masculine noun (such as “row”); Translation: third; Notes: ablative required by in used with a static location.
  3. ligurius — Lemma: ligurius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: first nominative in the gemstone list, functioning as subject of an implied verb; Translation: ligurius; Notes: the first stone assigned to the third row.
  4. achates — Lemma: achates; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: coordinated nominative with ligurius; Translation: agate; Notes: second gemstone in the third row.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins amethystus to the preceding nouns; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinating conjunction linking the last item in the list.
  6. amethystus — Lemma: amethystus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: third coordinated nominative completing the series; Translation: amethyst; Notes: final stone specified for the third row of the breastpiece.

 

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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