Exodus 28:42

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:42 Facies et feminalia linea, ut operiant carnem turpitudinis suæ, a renibus usque ad femora:

And you shall make linen undergarments, so that they may cover the flesh of his nakedness, from the loins to the thighs;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facies you shall make VERB 2 FUT ACT IND 3RD CONJ
2 et and CONJ INDECL
3 feminalia undergarments NOUN ACC PL N 3RD DECL
4 linea linen ADJ ACC PL N
5 ut so that CONJ INDECL
6 operiant they may cover VERB 3 PL PRES ACT SUBJ 4TH CONJ
7 carnem flesh NOUN ACC SG F 3RD DECL
8 turpitudinis of nakedness NOUN GEN SG F 3RD DECL
9 suæ his PRON POSS GEN SG F
10 a from PREP+ABL INDECL
11 renibus loins NOUN ABL PL M 3RD DECL
12 usque as far as PREP+ACC INDECL
13 ad to PREP+ACC INDECL
14 femora thighs NOUN ACC PL N 3RD DECL

Syntax

The principal clause is Facies et feminalia linea — “and you shall make linen undergarments,” with Facies as the main verb and feminalia as the direct object, modified by linea.
The purpose clause ut operiant carnem turpitudinis suæ expresses the function of these linen shorts: “so that they may cover the flesh of his nakedness.”
The prepositional phrase a renibus usque ad femora gives the spatial coverage, from the loins down to the thighs, marking the modesty requirement for priestly service.

Morphology

  1. Facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative, third conjugation; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “you shall make”; Notes: establishes required preparatory action for priestly vestments.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links this instruction with previous commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  3. feminalia — Lemma: feminalia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, third declension; Function: direct object of Facies; Translation: “undergarments”; Notes: refers to short linen breeches prescribed for modesty.
  4. linea — Lemma: lineus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies feminalia; Translation: “linen”; Notes: specifies required material.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: requires subjunctive verb.
  6. operiant — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive, fourth conjugation; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “they may cover”; Notes: subjunctive governed by ut expressing purpose.
  7. carnem — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, third declension; Function: direct object of operiant; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: literal bodily reference.
  8. turpitudinis — Lemma: turpitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: genitive of specification modifying carnem; Translation: “of nakedness”; Notes: euphemistic expression for exposed private parts.
  9. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: pronoun (possessive); Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies turpitudinis; Translation: “his”; Notes: reflexive to the priest being clothed.
  10. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates starting point; Translation: “from”; Notes: used spatially.
  11. renibus — Lemma: renes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, third declension; Function: object of a; Translation: “loins”; Notes: anatomical term for lower torso.
  12. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: preposition/adverb; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses extent; Translation: “as far as”; Notes: often paired with ad.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: part of extent phrase; Translation: “to”; Notes: standard spatial preposition.
  14. femora — Lemma: femur; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, third declension; Function: object of usque ad; Translation: “thighs”; Notes: completes extent of garment coverage.

 

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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