Exodus 27:10

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:10 Et columnas viginti cum basibus totidem æneis, quæ capita cum cælaturis suis habebunt argentea.

And twenty columns with as many bronze bases, whose capitals with their carvings shall be of silver.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 columnas columns ACC.PL.F 1ST DECL
3 viginti twenty INVAR.NUM
4 cum with PREP+ABL
5 basibus bases ABL.PL.F 3RD DECL
6 totidem just as many INVAR.ADJ
7 æneis bronze ABL.PL.F ADJ
8 quæ which NOM.PL.F PRON.REL
9 capita capitals NOM.PL.N 3RD DECL
10 cum with PREP+ABL
11 cælaturis carvings ABL.PL.F 3RD DECL
12 suis their ABL.PL.F PRON.REFL
13 habebunt they shall have 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
14 argentea silver NOM.PL.N ADJ

Syntax

Main structure: The implied verb (“you shall make”) continues from the previous verse, governing the object
columnas viginti.
The prepositional phrase cum basibus totidem æneis describes what accompanies the columns: bronze bases in the same number.

Relative clause: quæ capitа … habebunt modifies columnas.
The subject of the clause is capita (“capitals”).
The phrase cum cælaturis suis (“with their carvings”) modifies the subject.
The predicate adjective argentea describes the material of the capitals.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links to previous construction instructions; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive.
  2. columnas — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “columns”; Notes: structural supports of the court.
  3. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies columnas; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: cardinal number.
  4. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: joins objects.
  5. basibus — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 3rd declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: “bases”; Notes: plinths supporting columns.
  6. totidem — Lemma: totidem; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: invariable; Function: modifies basibus; Translation: “the same number”; Notes: emphasizes equal count.
  7. æneis — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies basibus; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: denotes material.
  8. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: refers to columnas or their structural parts; Translation: “which”; Notes: introduces relative clause.
  9. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter, 3rd declension; Function: subject of habebunt; Translation: “capitals”; Notes: top pieces of columns.
  10. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces accompanying detail; Translation: “with”; Notes: expresses accompaniment.
  11. cælaturis — Lemma: cælatura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: “carvings”; Notes: ornamental designs.
  12. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies cælaturis; Translation: “their”; Notes: refers to the capitals.
  13. habebunt — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “they shall have”; Notes: describes the decoration/material.
  14. argentea — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate adjective describing capita; Translation: “silver”; Notes: indicates material.

 

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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