Exodus 38:15

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:15 et in parte altera (quia inter utraque introitum tabernaculi fecit) quindecim æque cubitorum erant tentoria, columnæque tres, et bases totidem.

and on the other side (for between the two he made the entrance of the tabernacle) there were likewise fifteen cubits of hangings, and three columns, and the same number of bases.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 parte side ABL.SG.F NOUN
4 altera other ABL.SG.F ADJ
5 (quia because CONJ
6 inter between PREP+ACC
7 utraque the two ACC.PL.F PRON.INDEF
8 introitum entrance ACC.SG.M NOUN
9 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N NOUN
10 fecit) he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 quindecim fifteen INDECL.NUM
12 æque likewise ADV
13 cubitorum of cubits GEN.PL.M NOUN
14 erant there were 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
15 tentoria hangings NOM.PL.N NOUN
16 columnæque and columns NOM.PL.F NOUN + ENCLITIC -QUE
17 tres three NOM.PL.F NUM
18 et and CONJ
19 bases bases NOM.PL.F NOUN
20 totidem the same number INDECL.ADJ

Syntax

Coordinating opener:
et in parte altera — introduces the opposite side of the courtyard.

Parenthetical causal clause:
(quia inter utraque introitum tabernaculi fecit) — explains why the sides differ;
• fecit = main verb
• introitum tabernaculi = direct object + genitive specification
• inter utraque = between the two sides

Main measurement clause:
quindecim æque cubitorum erant tentoria — “there were likewise fifteen cubits of hangings.”
• nominative subject: tentoria
• genitive of measure: cubitorum

Additional coordinated nominatives:
columnæque tres — “and three columns.”
et bases totidem — “and the same number of bases.”

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates structural descriptions.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: marks spatial location.
  3. parte — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: complement of in; Translation: side; Notes: refers to courtyard section.
  4. altera — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies parte; Translation: other; Notes: contrasts with the first side.
  5. (quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: explains design rationale.
  6. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: between; Notes: relates the two fasciae of hangings.
  7. utraque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of inter; Translation: the two; Notes: dual reference.
  8. introitum — Lemma: introitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of fecit; Translation: entrance; Notes: architectural feature.
  9. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifies introitum; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: genitive of relation.
  10. fecit) — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the causal clause; Translation: he made; Notes: expresses completed construction.
  11. quindecim — Lemma: quindecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: fifteen; Notes: measurement of length.
  12. æque — Lemma: aeque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies comparison; Translation: likewise; Notes: parallels previous side’s dimensions.
  13. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: of cubits; Notes: expresses the total span.
  14. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural imperfect active indicative; Function: existential verb; Translation: there were; Notes: describes stable arrangement.
  15. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of erant; Translation: hangings; Notes: fabric boundary screens.
  16. columnæque — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: and columns; Notes: -que links to bases later.
  17. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies columnæ; Translation: three; Notes: number of supporting posts.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects final construction elements; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  19. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: bases; Notes: foundational supports for the columns.
  20. totidem — Lemma: totidem; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies bases; Translation: the same number; Notes: indicates numerical correspondence to tres.

 

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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