Exodus 37:25

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:25 Fecit et altare thymiamatis de lignis setim, per quadrum singulos habens cubitos, et in altitudine duos: e cuius angulis procedebant cornua.

And he made the altar of incense from setim wood, foursquare, each side a cubit, and in height two cubits; from whose corners the horns proceeded.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 altare altar ACC.SG.N NOUN
4 thymiamatis of incense GEN.SG.N NOUN
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 lignis woods ABL.PL.N NOUN
7 setim acacia ABL.PL.N NOUN.INDECL
8 per through / as PREP+ACC
9 quadrum foursquare ACC.SG.N NOUN
10 singulos each ACC.PL.M ADJ
11 habens having NOM.SG.M PTCP.PRES.ACT
12 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M NOUN
13 et and CONJ
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 altitudine height ABL.SG.F NOUN
16 duos two ACC.PL.M NUM
17 e from PREP+ABL
18 cuius whose GEN.SG.M PRON.REL
19 angulis corners ABL.PL.M NOUN
20 procedebant were coming forth 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
21 cornua horns NOM.PL.N NOUN

Syntax

Main clause:
Fecit … altare thymiamatis — direct object = “the altar of incense.”

Material phrase:
de lignis setim — “from acacia wood,” ablative of material.

Descriptive participial structure:
per quadrum singulos habens cubitos — “being foursquare, having a cubit on each side.”
• habens modifies the altar.
• singulos cubitos = dimensions.

Height phrase:
et in altitudine duos — “and in height two.”

Relative phrase of origin:
e cuius angulis procedebant cornua — “from whose corners the horns proceeded.”
• cuius refers to the altar.
• procedebant gives continuing action.
• cornua are the projecting horn-structures.

Morphology

  1. Fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: narrative perfect describing completed craftsmanship.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links actions; Translation: and; Notes: additive connector.
  3. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: altar; Notes: refers to the incense altar.
  4. thymiamatis — Lemma: thymiamatis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifies type of altar; Translation: of incense; Notes: genitive of specification.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces material; Translation: from; Notes: standard ablative of material.
  6. lignis — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: woods; Notes: material substance.
  7. setim — Lemma: setim; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: ablative plural by sense; Function: specifies wood type; Translation: acacia; Notes: Hebrew loan-term.
  8. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses configuration; Translation: as / in the form of; Notes: used with geometric vocabulary.
  9. quadrum — Lemma: quadrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of per; Translation: foursquare; Notes: indicates shape.
  10. singulos — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies cubitos; Translation: each; Notes: distributive adjective.
  11. habens — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: describes the altar; Translation: having; Notes: characteristic description.
  12. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of habens; Translation: cubits; Notes: measurement of length.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates another dimension; Translation: and; Notes: links height phrase.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses dimension; Translation: in; Notes: used for spatial measurement.
  15. altitudine — Lemma: altitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: dimension phrase; Translation: height; Notes: ablative of respect.
  16. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: expresses measure; Translation: two; Notes: refers to cubits by ellipsis.
  17. e — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces origin; Translation: from; Notes: variant of ex before consonants.
  18. cuius — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: relates to altare; Translation: whose; Notes: genitive of possession.
  19. angulis — Lemma: angulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of e; Translation: corners; Notes: architectural feature.
  20. procedebant — Lemma: procedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: were proceeding; Notes: descriptive ongoing action.
  21. cornua — Lemma: cornu; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: horns; Notes: refers to projecting horn-shapes on altar corners.

 

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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