Exodus 39:3

Posted on March 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 39:3 opere polymitario, inciditque bracteas aureas, et extenuavit in fila, ut possent torqueri cum priorum colorum subtegmine,

with variegated workmanship he cut thin plates of gold and flattened them into threads, so that they could be twisted together with the woven material of the former colours,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 opere with work NOUN.ABL.SG.N
2 polymitario variegated ADJ.ABL.SG.N
3 inciditque and he cut 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
4 bracteas plates NOUN.ACC.PL.F
5 aureas golden ADJ.ACC.PL.F
6 et and CONJ
7 extenuavit he flattened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 fila threads NOUN.ACC.PL.N
10 ut so that CONJ
11 possent they could 3PL.IMP.ACT.SUBJ.3RD CONJ
12 torqueri be twisted INF.PASS.PRES
13 cum with PREP+ABL
14 priorum of the former ADJ.GEN.PL.M/F/N
15 colorum colours NOUN.GEN.PL.M
16 subtegmine woven material NOUN.ABL.SG.N

Syntax

The opening ablative phrase opere polymitario forms a circumstantial ablative, describing the distinctive craftsmanship applied to the process (“with variegated workmanship”).

The main verb phrase is inciditque bracteas aureas, where incidit is perfect active, bracteas is the direct object, and aureas modifies it. The enclitic -que links this action closely with what follows.

The second main action appears in extenuavit in fila, where the perfect verb extenuavit takes the prepositional phrase in fila expressing result (“flattened into threads”).

A purpose clause begins with ut possent torqueri, where the imperfect subjunctive possent plus passive infinitive torqueri conveys capability or intended function (“so that they could be twisted”).

The prepositional phrase cum priorum colorum subtegmine expresses accompaniment, specifying the material with which the gold threads were meant to be twisted.

Morphology

  1. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter, third declension; Function: Ablative of manner; Translation: with work; Notes: Indicates the technical style characterizing the action.
  2. polymitario — Lemma: polymitarius; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular neuter, first/second declension; Function: Modifier of opere; Translation: variegated; Notes: Describes a multicoloured or intricate textile technique.
  3. inciditque — Lemma: incido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb; Translation: and he cut; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this action with what precedes.
  4. bracteas — Lemma: bractea; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine, first declension; Function: Direct object of incidit; Translation: plates; Notes: Refers to thin sheets of hammered gold.
  5. aureas — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine, first/second declension; Function: Modifier of bracteas; Translation: golden; Notes: Emphasizes the material of the plates.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Joins actions or items; Translation: and; Notes: Simple connective.
  7. extenuavit — Lemma: extenuo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative, first conjugation; Function: Main verb; Translation: he flattened; Notes: Indicates thinning or hammering gold plates into threads.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative here; Function: Expresses result; Translation: into; Notes: Indicates transformation of one form into another.
  9. fila — Lemma: filum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter, second declension; Function: Object of in; Translation: threads; Notes: The gold was hammered thin and drawn into threadlike strands.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Introduces purpose; Function: Begins purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: Classical marker for final clauses.
  11. possent — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: they could; Notes: Subjunctive expresses potential or intended capability.
  12. torqueri — Lemma: torqueo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present passive infinitive, second conjugation; Function: Complementary infinitive to possent; Translation: be twisted; Notes: Indicates the physical manipulation of the gold threads.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing ablative; Function: Introduces accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: Not temporal here but prepositional.
  14. priorum — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Genitive plural masculine/feminine/neuter, comparative degree; Function: Modifies colorum; Translation: of the former; Notes: Refers to the previously mentioned colours of the fabric.
  15. colorum — Lemma: color; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine, third declension; Function: Genitive dependent on priorum; Translation: colours; Notes: Indicates the hues of the woven material.
  16. subtegmine — Lemma: subtegmen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter, third declension; Function: Ablative with cum; Translation: woven material; Notes: The warp or woven structure into which the gold threads were twisted.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.