Exodus 30:2

Posted on March 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 30:2 habens cubitum longitudinis, et alterum latitudinis, id est, quadrangulum, et duos cubitos in altitudine. Cornua ex ipso procedent.

having a cubit in length, and another in width, that is, square, and two cubits in height. Its horns shall project from it.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 habens having PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M 3RD CONJ
2 cubitum a cubit ACC.SG.M NOUN 2ND DECL
3 longitudinis of length GEN.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
4 et and CONJ INDECL
5 alterum another ACC.SG.M PRON INDEF
6 latitudinis of width GEN.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
7 id that NOM.SG.N PRON DEM
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND IRREG (sum)
9 quadrangulum square NOM.SG.N ADJ POS
10 et and CONJ INDECL
11 duos two ACC.PL.M ADJ NUM
12 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M NOUN 2ND DECL
13 in in PREP+ABL INDECL
14 altitudine height ABL.SG.F NOUN 3RD DECL
15 Cornua horns NOM.PL.N NOUN 3RD DECL
16 ex out of PREP+ABL INDECL
17 ipso from itself ABL.SG.N PRON DEM
18 procedent will project 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND 3RD CONJ

Syntax

Participial Construction: habens cubitum … et alterum … — describes the altar by listing its dimensions.
Clarifying Clause: id est quadrangulum — explanatory apposition defining the shape.
Prepositional Phrase: in altitudine — specifies vertical dimension.
Main Clause: Cornua … procedent — states that the altar’s horns rise organically from the structure.

Morphology

  1. habens — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: describes the altar; Translation: having; Notes: modifies implied subject “altare.”
  2. cubitum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of habens; Translation: a cubit; Notes: unit of sacred measurement.
  3. longitudinis — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of length; Notes: specifies dimension.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinate element; Translation: and; Notes: links dimension phrases.
  5. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second object of habens; Translation: another; Notes: contrasts with first measurement.
  6. latitudinis — Lemma: latitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of width; Notes: second dimension term.
  7. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of explanatory clause; Translation: that; Notes: introduces definition.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: is; Notes: connects demonstrative and predicate.
  9. quadrangulum — Lemma: quadrangulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate describing “id”; Translation: square; Notes: geometric precision of altar.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces additional measurement; Translation: and; Notes: connects height to list.
  11. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies cubitos; Translation: two; Notes: height measurement.
  12. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of dimensional statement; Translation: cubits; Notes: vertical measurement.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses measurement context; Translation: in; Notes: standard ablative of dimension.
  14. altitudine — Lemma: altitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: height; Notes: denotes vertical dimension.
  15. Cornua — Lemma: cornu; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: horns; Notes: integral altar projections.
  16. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin; Translation: out of; Notes: horns arise from structure itself.
  17. ipso — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of ex; Translation: from it; Notes: emphasizes unity of construction.
  18. procedent — Lemma: procedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: will project; Notes: horns emerge organically, not attached separately.

 

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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