Exodus 38:17

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:17 Bases columnarum fuere æneæ, capita autem earum cum cunctis cælaturis suis argentea: sed et ipsas columnas atrii vestivit argento.

The bases of the columns were bronze, but their capitals with all their carvings were silver; and he also overlaid the columns of the court with silver.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Bases bases NOM.PL.F NOUN
2 columnarum of the columns GEN.PL.F NOUN
3 fuere were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 æneæ bronze NOM.PL.F ADJ
5 capita capitals NOM.PL.N NOUN
6 autem however CONJ
7 earum of them GEN.PL.F PRON.POSS
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 cunctis all ABL.PL.F ADJ
10 cælaturis carvings ABL.PL.F NOUN
11 suis their ABL.PL.F ADJ.POSS
12 argentea silver NOM.PL.N ADJ
13 sed but CONJ
14 et also CONJ
15 ipsas the columns themselves ACC.PL.F ADJ.DEM
16 columnas columns ACC.PL.F NOUN
17 atrii of the court GEN.SG.N NOUN
18 vestivit he overlaid 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 argento with silver ABL.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

First clause:
Bases columnarum fuere æneæ — “The bases of the columns were bronze.”
• Subject: Bases
• Genitive: columnarum (possession)
• Verb: fuere
• Predicate adjective: æneæ

Second clause:
capita autem earum … argentea — “but their capitals … were silver.”
• capita = subject
• earum = possessive
• cum cunctis cælaturis suis = ablative of accompaniment
• argentea = predicate adjective

Third clause:
sed et ipsas columnas atrii vestivit argento — “but he also overlaid the columns of the court with silver.”
• Verb: vestivit
• Direct object: ipsas columnas
• Genitive specification: atrii
• Instrumental ablative: argento

Morphology

  1. Bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: bases; Notes: refers to the heavy foundational supports.
  2. columnarum — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possession; Translation: of the columns; Notes: identifies which bases.
  3. fuere — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: were; Notes: contracted form of fuerunt.
  4. æneæ — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: bronze; Notes: describes material composition.
  5. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of second clause; Translation: capitals; Notes: architectural tops of the columns.
  6. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: however; Notes: soft adversative.
  7. earum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies capita; Translation: of them; Notes: refers to the columns.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: links capitals with their carvings.
  9. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies cælaturis; Translation: all; Notes: emphasizes completeness.
  10. cælaturis — Lemma: cælatura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of cum; Translation: carvings; Notes: decorative metalwork engravings.
  11. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies cælaturis; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive to capita.
  12. argentea — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: silver; Notes: describes material used for capitals.
  13. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: strong contrast; Translation: but; Notes: introduces new detail.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds additional action; Translation: also; Notes: emphasizes inclusion.
  15. ipsas — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: intensifies columnas; Translation: the columns themselves; Notes: highlights direct treatment of columns.
  16. columnas — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of vestivit; Translation: columns; Notes: courtyard supports.
  17. atrii — Lemma: atrium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifies ownership; Translation: of the court; Notes: courtyard designation.
  18. vestivit — Lemma: vestio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he overlaid; Notes: used for covering with a layer of metal.
  19. argento — Lemma: argentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: instrument; Translation: with silver; Notes: material of overlay.

 

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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