Exodus 28:34

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:34 ita ut tintinnabulum sit aureum et malum punicum: rursumque tintinnabulum aliud aureum et malum punicum.

thus, so that there may be a golden bell and a pomegranate, and again another golden bell and a pomegranate.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ita thus ADV INDECL
2 ut so that CONJ INDECL
3 tintinnabulum bell NOUN NOM SG N 2ND DECL
4 sit may be VERB 3 PRES ACT SUBJ IRREG
5 aureum golden ADJ NOM SG N
6 et and CONJ INDECL
7 malum pomegranate NOUN NOM SG N 2ND DECL
8 punicum pomegranate-like ADJ NOM SG N
9 rursumque and again ADV+ENCL INDECL
10 tintinnabulum bell NOUN NOM SG N 2ND DECL
11 aliud another PRON INDEF NOM SG N
12 aureum golden ADJ NOM SG N
13 et and CONJ INDECL
14 malum pomegranate NOUN NOM SG N 2ND DECL
15 punicum pomegranate-like ADJ NOM SG N

Syntax

ita ut introduces a result construction: “thus, so that…”.
The clause tintinnabulum sit aureum et malum punicum forms a patterned pairing—one golden bell and one pomegranate.
rursumque adds a second coordinated pairing: another golden bell and a pomegranate.
The structure expresses the alternating sequence decorating the priestly garment.

Morphology

  1. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces result pattern; Translation: “thus”; Notes: commonly paired with ut for result clauses.
  2. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces result clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: requires subjunctive verb.
  3. tintinnabulum — Lemma: tintinnabulum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, second declension; Function: subject of sit; Translation: “bell”; Notes: refers to small bells on priestly robe.
  4. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of result clause; Translation: “may be / shall be”; Notes: subjunctive required after ut.
  5. aureum — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “golden”; Notes: agrees with tintinnabulum.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links coordinated predicate elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: standard coordinator.
  7. malum — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, second declension; Function: predicate noun; Translation: “pomegranate”; Notes: refers to pomegranate-shaped textile ornaments.
  8. punicum — Lemma: punicus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies malum; Translation: “pomegranate-like”; Notes: describes coloration and form.
  9. rursumque — Lemma: rursum + -que; Part of Speech: adverb with enclitic conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces repeated pattern; Translation: “and again”; Notes: -que coordinates with previous clause.
  10. tintinnabulum — Lemma: tintinnabulum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of implied sit; Translation: “bell”; Notes: echoes the alternating pattern.
  11. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: pronoun (indefinite/adjectival); Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies tintinnabulum; Translation: “another”; Notes: introduces second element in repeated sequence.
  12. aureum — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “golden”; Notes: agrees with tintinnabulum.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects final coordinated noun; Translation: “and”; Notes: identical use as earlier.
  14. malum — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate noun; Translation: “pomegranate”; Notes: part of repeating bell-fruit pattern.
  15. punicum — Lemma: punicus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies malum; Translation: “pomegranate-like”; Notes: completes final pairing.

 

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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