Exodus 28:27

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:27 Nec non et alios duos annulos aureos, qui ponendi sunt in utroque latere superhumeralis deorsum, quod respicit contra faciem iuncturæ inferioris, ut aptari possit cum superhumerali,

And likewise two other golden rings, which are to be placed on each side of the ephod below, where it faces toward the front of the lower joining, so that it may be fitted together with the ephod.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nec and not / nor CONJ INDECL
2 non not ADV INDECL
3 et and CONJ INDECL
4 alios other ADJ ACC PL M
5 duos two ADJ ACC PL M
6 annulos rings NOUN ACC PL M 2ND DECL
7 aureos golden ADJ ACC PL M
8 qui which PRON REL NOM PL M
9 ponendi to be placed VERB GERUNDV NOM PL M
10 sunt are VERB 3 PRES ACT IND
11 in in/on PREP+ABL INDECL
12 utroque on each ADJ ABL SG N
13 latere side NOUN ABL SG N 3RD DECL
14 superhumeralis of the ephod NOUN GEN SG N 3RD DECL
15 deorsum below ADV INDECL
16 quod where / which PRON REL NOM SG N
17 respicit faces VERB 3 PRES ACT IND 3RD CONJ
18 contra toward / against PREP+ACC INDECL
19 faciem front NOUN ACC SG F 5TH DECL
20 iuncturæ of the joining NOUN GEN SG F 1ST DECL
21 inferioris lower ADJ GEN SG F CMPR
22 ut so that CONJ INDECL
23 aptari to be fitted VERB INF PASS
24 possit may be able VERB 3 PRES ACT SUBJ 3RD CONJ
25 cum with PREP+ABL INDECL
26 superhumerali with the ephod NOUN ABL SG N 3RD DECL

Syntax

Main clause:
The implicit subject (tu) is contained in the ritual-prescriptive sequence, but the explicit grammatical subject of this clause is alios duos annulos aureos.
No finite verb appears until the relative clause; instead this is a nominal directive introduced by Nec non et (“and likewise also”).

Relative clause #1:
qui ponendi sunt modifies annulos.
The periphrastic passive construction (gerundive + sum) gives necessity: “which are to be placed.”

Prepositional phrase:
in utroque latere superhumeralis deorsum specifies exact placement: “on each side of the ephod below.”

Relative clause #2:
quod respicit contra faciem iuncturæ inferioris describes the part of the ephod that “faces toward the front of the lower joining.”
quod is the neuter nominative relative pronoun referring back to the entire location phrase.

Final purpose clause:
ut aptari possit cum superhumerali — “so that it may be fitted together with the ephod.”
The verb possit is in the present subjunctive expressing purpose.

Morphology

  1. Nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces continuation (“and not / nor”); Translation: “nor / and also not”; Notes: often strengthens additive force with non.
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifier with nec; Translation: “not”; Notes: forms idiomatic “nec non” = “and also.”
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds additional set of rings; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordinates another instruction.
  4. alios — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies annulos; Translation: “other”; Notes: distinguishes this pair from the previous pair.
  5. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: quantity modifier; Translation: “two”; Notes: specifies the number.
  6. annulos — Lemma: annulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of implied making command; Translation: “rings”; Notes: refers to attachment rings.
  7. aureos — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies annulos; Translation: “golden”; Notes: material specification.
  8. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of ponendi sunt; Translation: “which”; Notes: introduces necessity clause.
  9. ponendi — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verbal adjective (gerundive); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: with sunt expresses obligation; Translation: “to be placed”; Notes: gerundive of necessity.
  10. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary with gerundive; Translation: “are”; Notes: forms passive periphrastic.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces spatial expression; Translation: “on/in”; Notes: static placement.
  12. utroque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: pronominal adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies latere; Translation: “each of the two”; Notes: distributive sense.
  13. latere — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, third declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “side”; Notes: indicates position on garment.
  14. superhumeralis — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the ephod”; Notes: identifies priestly garment.
  15. deorsum — Lemma: deorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: indicates vertical direction; Translation: “below”; Notes: contrasts with upper rings.
  16. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of respicit; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to location as antecedent.
  17. respicit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “faces”; Notes: expresses orientation.
  18. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: directional phrase; Translation: “toward / against”; Notes: common with spatial objects.
  19. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, fifth declension; Function: object of contra; Translation: “front”; Notes: indicates front-facing surface.
  20. iuncturæ — Lemma: iunctura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, first declension; Function: dependent on faciem; Translation: “of the joining”; Notes: refers to seam or junction of garment.
  21. inferioris — Lemma: inferior; Part of Speech: comparative adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies iuncturæ; Translation: “lower”; Notes: comparative degree indicating vertical position.
  22. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: marks intended result.
  23. aptari — Lemma: apto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complement infinitive; Translation: “to be fitted”; Notes: passive expresses accommodation.
  24. possit — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may be able”; Notes: subjunctive expresses intended capability.
  25. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces complement; Translation: “with”; Notes: indicates accompaniment.
  26. superhumerali — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, third declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: “with the ephod”; Notes: final object of fitting function.

 

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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