Exodus 26:20

Posted on March 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 26:20 In latere quoque secundo tabernaculi quod vergit ad Aquilonem, viginti tabulæ erunt,

On the second side of the tabernacle also, which faces toward the North, there shall be twenty boards,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 In in/on PREP+ABL
2 latere side ABL.SG.N, NOUN, 3RD DECL
3 quoque also ADV, INDECL
4 secundo second ABL.SG.N, ADJ, 1ST/2ND DECL
5 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N, NOUN, 2ND DECL
6 quod which NOM.SG.N, PRON.REL
7 vergit faces 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ
8 ad toward PREP+ACC
9 Aquilonem the North ACC.SG.M, NOUN, 3RD DECL
10 viginti twenty INVAR, NUM.ADJ
11 tabulæ boards NOM.PL.F, NOUN, 1ST DECL
12 erunt shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND, IRREG (sum)

Syntax

Locational phrase:
• In latere quoque secundo tabernaculi — “On the second side of the tabernacle also”
— ablative of location, with secundo modifying latere
— quoque adds “also” to parallel the southern side.

Relative clause:
• quod vergit ad Aquilonem — “which faces toward the North”
— quod refers to latus
— vergit describes orientation
— ad Aquilonem indicates direction.

Main clause:
• viginti tabulæ erunt — “twenty boards shall be”
— viginti = numeral subject
— tabulæ = nominative subject complement
— erunt = future indicative.

Morphology

  1. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: in/on; Notes: standard locative construction.
  2. latere — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: side; Notes: architectural term.
  3. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds “also”; Translation: also; Notes: emphasizes parallel structure with previous verse.
  4. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies latere; Translation: second; Notes: ordinal adjective.
  5. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: identifies structure.
  6. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of vergit; Translation: which; Notes: refers to latus.
  7. vergit — Lemma: vergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: faces; Notes: used for direction/orientation.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: toward; Notes: common with compass points.
  9. Aquilonem — Lemma: Aquilo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: the North; Notes: northern direction or north wind.
  10. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: invariable; Function: substantive numeral subject; Translation: twenty; Notes: cardinal numerals do not decline.
  11. tabulæ — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject complement; Translation: boards; Notes: main structural planks.
  12. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall be; Notes: denotes fixed placement.

 

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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