Exodus 36:24

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:24 cum quadraginta basibus argenteis. Duæ bases sub una tabula ponebantur ex utraque parte angulorum, ubi incastraturæ laterum in angulis terminantur.

with forty silver bases. Two bases were placed under one board on each side of the corners, where the mortise-joints of the sides end at the corners.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 cum with PREP+ABL
2 quadraginta forty INDECL.NUM
3 basibus bases ABL.PL.F NOUN
4 argenteis silver ABL.PL.F ADJ
5 Duæ two NOM.PL.F ADJ.NUM
6 bases bases NOM.PL.F NOUN
7 sub under PREP+ABL
8 una one ABL.SG.F ADJ.NUM
9 tabula board ABL.SG.F NOUN
10 ponebantur were placed 3PL.IMP.PASS.IND
11 ex from PREP+ABL
12 utraque each ABL.SG.F ADJ
13 parte side ABL.SG.F NOUN
14 angulorum of the corners GEN.PL.M NOUN
15 ubi where ADV/CONJ.REL
16 incastraturæ mortise-joints NOM.PL.F NOUN
17 laterum of the sides GEN.PL.M NOUN
18 in in / on PREP+ABL
19 angulis at the corners ABL.PL.M NOUN
20 terminantur end / are terminated 3PL.PRES.PASS.IND

Syntax

Ablative Phrase:
cum quadraginta basibus argenteis — “with forty silver bases.”
• ablative of accompaniment / association.

Main Clause:
Duæ bases … ponebantur
• Duæ bases = subject.
• ponebantur = imperfect passive (habitual placement).
• sub una tabula = spatial complement.
• ex utraque parte angulorum = “on each side of the corners.”

Relative/Locative Clause:
ubi incastraturæ laterum in angulis terminantur
• describes the precise point where joints end.
• terminantur = present passive, factual description.

Morphology

  1. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces accompanying element; Translation: with; Notes: expresses association with the boards.
  2. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies basibus; Translation: forty; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  3. basibus — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: bases; Notes: structural sockets of the boards.
  4. argenteis — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies basibus; Translation: silver; Notes: indicates material.
  5. Duæ — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of ponebantur; Translation: two; Notes: agrees with bases.
  6. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: bases; Notes: the sockets beneath each board.
  7. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative (rest); Function: spatial relation; Translation: under; Notes: expresses static placement.
  8. una — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies tabula; Translation: one; Notes: indicates each board receives two bases.
  9. tabula — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of sub; Translation: board; Notes: wooden structural element.
  10. ponebantur — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect passive indicative; Function: main verb describing habitual placement; Translation: were placed; Notes: passive highlights receiving action.
  11. ex — Lemma: ex/e; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source or spatial origin; Translation: from; Notes: here meaning “from each.”
  12. utraque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies parte; Translation: each; Notes: distributive sense.
  13. parte — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: side; Notes: used of sides of the structure.
  14. angulorum — Lemma: angulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies parte; Translation: of the corners; Notes: structural corners of the tabernacle.
  15. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces locative relative clause; Translation: where; Notes: refers to exact join location.
  16. incastraturæ — Lemma: incastratura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of terminantur; Translation: mortise-joints; Notes: woodworking technical term.
  17. laterum — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies incastraturæ; Translation: of the sides; Notes: refers to side walls.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative (location); Function: gives spatial location; Translation: in / at; Notes: static position.
  19. angulis — Lemma: angulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: at the corners; Notes: structural corners.
  20. terminantur — Lemma: termino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present passive indicative; Function: describes where the joints end; Translation: are terminated / end; Notes: present factual description of structure.

 

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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