Exodus 37:23

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:23 Fecit et lucernas septem cum emunctoriis suis, et vasa ubi ea quæ emuncta sunt, extinguantur, de auro mundissimo.

And he made the seven lamps with their wick-trimmers, and the vessels in which the things trimmed may be extinguished, of very pure gold.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 lucernas lamps ACC.PL.F NOUN
4 septem seven INDECL.NUM
5 cum with PREP+ABL
6 emunctoriis wicker-trimmers ABL.PL.N NOUN
7 suis their ABL.PL.N PRON.POSS
8 et and CONJ
9 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N NOUN
10 ubi where ADV.REL
11 ea the things NOM.PL.N PRON.DEM
12 quæ which NOM.PL.N PRON.REL
13 emuncta trimmed NOM.PL.N PTCP.PERF.PASS
14 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
15 extinguantur may be extinguished 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
16 de of / from PREP+ABL
17 auro gold ABL.SG.N NOUN
18 mundissimo very pure ABL.SG.N ADJ.SUPER

Syntax

Main clause:
Fecit … lucernas septem — “He made the seven lamps.”
• Fecit = main verb (perfect).
• lucernas septem = direct object + numeral.

Prepositional phrase:
cum emunctoriis suis — “with their wick-trimmers.”
Indicates accompanying instruments.

Coordinated object:
et vasa — “and the vessels.”

Relative adverbial clause:
ubi ea quæ emuncta sunt extinguantur
— “where those things which have been trimmed may be extinguished.”
• ubi = locational adverb.
• ea … quæ = demonstrative + relative pronoun.
• emuncta sunt = perfect passive periphrastic.
• extinguantur = subjunctive of purpose.

Ablative of material:
de auro mundissimo — “of the purest gold.”
Describes the material of the vessels.

Morphology

  1. Fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: perfect describes completed craftsmanship.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links coordinated objects; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive link.
  3. lucernas — Lemma: lucerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of fecit; Translation: lamps; Notes: refers to the seven menorah lamps.
  4. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies lucernas; Translation: seven; Notes: invariant cardinal number.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: introduces instrumental detail.
  6. emunctoriis — Lemma: emunctorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of cum; Translation: wick-trimmers; Notes: implements for maintaining lamp wicks.
  7. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies emunctoriis; Translation: their; Notes: refers back to the lamps.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds another object; Translation: and; Notes: joins vasa to prior items.
  9. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: coordinated object; Translation: vessels; Notes: containers for extinguishing trimmed wicks.
  10. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces relative location clause; Translation: where; Notes: replaces a relative pronoun + preposition.
  11. ea — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: antecedent of quæ; Translation: the things; Notes: refers to wick remnants.
  12. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: which; Notes: connects antecedent ea to participle.
  13. emuncta — Lemma: emungo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: describes ea; Translation: trimmed; Notes: denotes completed trimming action.
  14. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: are; Notes: forms perfect passive periphrasis.
  15. extinguantur — Lemma: extinguo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present passive subjunctive; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: may be extinguished; Notes: subjunctive regularly marks intended purpose after ubi.
  16. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates material; Translation: of / from; Notes: introduces ablative of material.
  17. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: complement of de; Translation: gold; Notes: material of the vessels.
  18. mundissimo — Lemma: mundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies auro; Translation: very pure; Notes: intensifies the exceptional refinement of the gold.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.