Exodus 39:10

Posted on March 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 39:10 Et posuit in eo gemmarum ordines quattuor. In primo versu erat sardius, topazius, smaragdus.

And he placed in it four rows of gems. In the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 posuit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 eo in it PRON.ABL.SG.M/N
5 gemmarum of gems NOUN.GEN.PL.F
6 ordines rows NOUN.ACC.PL.M
7 quattuor four ADJ.INDECL.NUM
8 In in PREP+ABL
9 primo first ADJ.ABL.SG.M
10 versu row NOUN.ABL.SG.M
11 erat there was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND.IRR
12 sardius sardius NOUN.NOM.SG.M
13 topazius topaz NOUN.NOM.SG.M
14 smaragdus emerald NOUN.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

The main clause Et posuit in eo gemmarum ordines quattuor features the perfect verb posuit with an implied subject (“he”), and the direct object ordines modified by the numeral quattuor. The genitive gemmarum specifies the content of the rows (“rows of gems”). The prepositional phrase in eo indicates location, referring to the breastpiece.

The following sentence is a descriptive clause: In primo versu erat sardius, topazius, smaragdus. The verb erat introduces a simple listing of items found in the first row. The phrase in primo versu is an ablative of location, identifying the position of the stones.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links with prior narrative; Translation: and; Notes: Continues the sequence of construction details.
  2. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: Main verb; Translation: he placed; Notes: Indicates a completed action.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing ablative; Function: Introduces location; Translation: in; Notes: Used with ablative to indicate position.
  4. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: in it; Notes: Refers to the breastpiece.
  5. gemmarum — Lemma: gemma; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural feminine, first declension; Function: Dependent genitive modifying ordines; Translation: of gems; Notes: Specifies the kind of rows.
  6. ordines — Lemma: ordo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine, third declension; Function: Direct object; Translation: rows; Notes: The rows that hold the stones.
  7. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies ordines; Translation: four; Notes: Numerical specification.
  8. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: in; Notes: Introduces the positional phrase.
  9. primo — Lemma: primus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular masculine, first/second declension; Function: Modifies versu; Translation: first; Notes: Indicates order or rank.
  10. versu — Lemma: versus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine, fourth declension; Function: Ablative of location; Translation: row; Notes: Refers to the first horizontal row of stones.
  11. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: Linking verb; Translation: there was; Notes: Imperfect used in descriptive narration.
  12. sardius — Lemma: sardius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject complement; Translation: sardius; Notes: A red stone, possibly carnelian.
  13. topazius — Lemma: topazius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject complement; Translation: topaz; Notes: Ancient “topaz” may correspond to different yellow gemstones.
  14. smaragdus — Lemma: smaragdus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine, second declension; Function: Subject complement; Translation: emerald; Notes: A precious green stone.

 

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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