Exodus 38:21

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:21 Hæc sunt instrumena tabernaculi testimonii, quæ enumerata sunt iuxta præceptum Moysi in cæremoniis Levitarum per manum Ithamar filii Aaron sacerdotis:

These are the implements of the tabernacle of the testimony, which were enumerated according to the command of Moyses, in the rites of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these NOM.PL.N PRON.DEM
2 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 instrumena implements NOM.PL.N NOUN
4 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N NOUN
5 testimonii of the testimony GEN.SG.N NOUN
6 quæ which NOM.PL.N PRON.REL
7 enumerata enumerated NOM.PL.N PTCP.PERF.PASS
8 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
9 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
10 præceptum command ACC.SG.N NOUN
11 Moysi of Moses GEN.SG.M NOUN
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 cæremoniis ceremonies ABL.PL.F NOUN
14 Levitarum of the Levites GEN.PL.M NOUN
15 per by PREP+ACC
16 manum hand ACC.SG.F NOUN
17 Ithamar Ithamar ACC.SG.M NOUN (proper)
18 filii son GEN.SG.M NOUN
19 Aaron Aaron GEN.SG.M NOUN (proper)
20 sacerdotis priest GEN.SG.M NOUN

Syntax

Main clause:
Hæc sunt instrumena tabernaculi testimonii — identifies the items belonging to the sanctuary.
• Hæc = subject
• instrumena = predicate nominative
• tabernaculi testimonii = two genitives specifying possession and function.

Relative clause:
quæ enumerata sunt — “which were enumerated.”
• perfect passive participle + sunt: completed listing.

Prepositional phrase of conformity:
iuxta præceptum Moysi — according to Moses’ command.

Ritual context:
in cæremoniis Levitarum — indicates priestly procedural framework.

Agent phrase:
per manum Ithamar filii Aaron sacerdotis — “by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.”
• expresses delegated priestly oversight.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: these; Notes: introduces the catalogue of sacred implements.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: are; Notes: links subject to predicate.
  3. instrumena — Lemma: instrumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: implements; Notes: refers to ritual and structural equipment.
  4. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possession; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: identifies the sacred structure.
  5. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specification; Translation: of the testimony; Notes: traditional title for the sanctuary where the tablets were kept.
  6. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to instrumena.
  7. enumerata — Lemma: enumero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate in passive construction; Translation: enumerated; Notes: indicates formal listing.
  8. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary with participle; Translation: were; Notes: forms perfect passive.
  9. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity; Translation: according to; Notes: common in legal-ritual formulae.
  10. præceptum — Lemma: præceptum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of iuxta; Translation: command; Notes: refers to divine instruction mediated through Moses.
  11. Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possession; Translation: of Moses; Notes: identifies the legislator.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: situational context; Translation: in; Notes: describes ritual setting.
  13. cæremoniis — Lemma: cærimonia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of in; Translation: ceremonies; Notes: liturgical procedures.
  14. Levitarum — Lemma: Levites; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possession; Translation: of the Levites; Notes: tribe responsible for sacred service.
  15. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks agency; Translation: by; Notes: indicates intermediary agent.
  16. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: idiom for agency; Translation: hand; Notes: formal biblical expression “by the hand of.”
  17. Ithamar — Lemma: Ithamar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of per; Translation: Ithamar; Notes: priestly overseer.
  18. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of relationship; Translation: son; Notes: tribal genealogical identification.
  19. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies filii; Translation: of Aaron; Notes: chief priest.
  20. sacerdotis — Lemma: sacerdos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: priest; Notes: titles Aaron in his office.

 

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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