Exodus 38:18

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:18 Et in introitu eius opere plumario fecit tentorium ex hyacintho, purpura, vermiculo, ac bysso retorta, quod habebat viginti cubitos in longitudine, altitudo vero quinque cubitorum erat iuxta mensuram, quam cuncta atrii tentoria habebant.

And at its entrance he made, with embroidery work, a hanging of violet, purple, scarlet, and twisted linen, which had twenty cubits in length; and its height was five cubits, according to the measure which all the hangings of the court had.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 introitu entrance ABL.SG.M NOUN
4 eius of it GEN.SG.M/ N PRON.POSS
5 opere with work ABL.SG.N NOUN
6 plumario embroidered ABL.SG.N ADJ
7 fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 tentorium hanging ACC.SG.N NOUN
9 ex from PREP+ABL
10 hyacintho violet ABL.SG.M NOUN
11 purpura purple ABL.SG.F NOUN
12 vermiculo scarlet ABL.SG.M NOUN
13 ac and CONJ
14 bysso linen ABL.SG.F NOUN
15 retorta twisted ABL.SG.F PTCP.PERF.PASS
16 quod which NOM.SG.N PRON.REL
17 habebat had 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
18 viginti twenty INDECL.NUM
19 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M NOUN
20 in in PREP+ABL
21 longitudine length ABL.SG.F NOUN
22 altitudo height NOM.SG.F NOUN
23 vero indeed CONJ/ADV
24 quinque five INDECL.NUM
25 cubitorum cubits GEN.PL.M NOUN
26 erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
27 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
28 mensuram measure ACC.SG.F NOUN
29 quam which ACC.SG.F PRON.REL
30 cuncta all NOM.PL.N ADJ
31 atrii of the court GEN.SG.N NOUN
32 tentoria hangings NOM.PL.N NOUN
33 habebant had 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Locative phrase:
in introitu eius — specifies where the embroidered hanging was placed.

Instrumental ablative:
opere plumario — “with embroidery work.”

Main clause:
fecit tentorium — “he made a hanging.”

Material sequence (ablatives of material):
ex hyacintho, purpura, vermiculo, ac bysso retorta — the fabrics and colors used.

Relative clause of description:
quod habebat viginti cubitos in longitudine — describes the dimensions.

Secondary clause:
altitudo vero quinque cubitorum erat — describes the height.

Standardization clause:
iuxta mensuram quam cuncta atrii tentoria habebant — the measurements followed the established pattern.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects narrative clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues construction details.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: marks precise placement of the hanging.
  3. introitu — Lemma: introitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: complement of in; Translation: entrance; Notes: refers to the court’s eastern entry.
  4. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: modifies introitu; Translation: of it; Notes: refers to the courtyard.
  5. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: instrumental ablative; Translation: with work; Notes: indicates craftsmanship style.
  6. plumario — Lemma: plumarius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies opere; Translation: embroidered; Notes: specialized textile work.
  7. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: expresses completed fabrication.
  8. tentorium — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: hanging; Notes: large decorative screen.
  9. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes material; Translation: from; Notes: lists fabric components.
  10. hyacintho — Lemma: hyacinthus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: material; Translation: violet; Notes: blue-purple textile dye.
  11. purpura — Lemma: purpura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: material; Translation: purple; Notes: expensive dye.
  12. vermiculo — Lemma: vermiculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: material; Translation: scarlet; Notes: dye from cochineal-like insects.
  13. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects final item; Translation: and; Notes: stronger than et.
  14. bysso — Lemma: byssus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: material; Translation: linen; Notes: high-grade fabric.
  15. retorta — Lemma: retorqueo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies bysso; Translation: twisted; Notes: denotes tightly spun threads.
  16. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: introduces descriptive clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to tentorium.
  17. habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of clause; Translation: had; Notes: describes ongoing characteristic.
  18. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: twenty; Notes: measurement.
  19. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: measure; Translation: cubits; Notes: length dimension.
  20. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: specifies dimension; Translation: in; Notes: used for measurements.
  21. longitudine — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: dimension field; Translation: length; Notes: technical architectural term.
  22. altitudo — Lemma: altitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: height; Notes: dimension parameter.
  23. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: contrastive marker; Translation: indeed; Notes: distinguishes width from height.
  24. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: five; Notes: height measure.
  25. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: of cubits; Notes: standard expression.
  26. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of clause; Translation: was; Notes: describes the ongoing specification.
  27. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity; Translation: according to; Notes: technical architectural regulation.
  28. mensuram — Lemma: mensura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: measure; Notes: refers to standard pattern.
  29. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of habebant; Translation: which; Notes: refers to mensuram.
  30. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: modifies tentoria; Translation: all; Notes: comprehensive reference.
  31. atrii — Lemma: atrium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifies ownership; Translation: of the court; Notes: denotes courtyard enclosure.
  32. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of habebant; Translation: hangings; Notes: all boundary screens.
  33. habebant — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: had; Notes: describes existing measurements.

 

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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