Exodus 27:19

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:19 Cuncta vasa tabernaculi in omnes usus et ceremonias, tam paxillos eius quam atrii, ex ære facies.

All the vessels of the tabernacle for every use and ceremony, both its pegs and those of the court, you shall make of bronze.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cuncta all NOM.PL.N ADJ
2 vasa vessels NOM.PL.N 2ND DECL
3 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
4 in for / in PREP+ACC
5 omnes all ACC.PL.C ADJ
6 usus uses ACC.PL.M 4TH DECL
7 et and CONJ
8 ceremonias ceremonies ACC.PL.F 1ST DECL
9 tam both ADV
10 paxillos pegs ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL
11 eius of it GEN.SG.C PRON.PERS
12 quam as well as CONJ
13 atrii of the court GEN.SG.N 2ND DECL
14 ex of / from PREP+ABL
15 ære bronze ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
16 facies you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Subject group: Cuncta vasa tabernaculi is the main subject, “all the vessels of the tabernacle.”
The prepositional phrase in omnes usus et ceremonias specifies purpose and scope:
the vessels are intended “for all uses and ceremonies.”

Tam–quam correlative:
tam paxillos eius (“both its pegs”) balances with
quam atrii (“as well as those of the court”), so that the command includes tent pegs of the tabernacle proper and of the surrounding court.

Main verb and material: The second person future facies governs the entire list:
Moses (and through him Yisraʾel) is commanded to make all these items
ex ære, “of bronze” (ablative of material).

Morphology

  1. Cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa, indicating the totality of the vessels; Translation: “all”; Notes: stronger, more collective nuance than simple omnia.
  2. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter, 2nd declension (plural form regularized); Function: grammatical subject of facies; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: includes bowls, pans, forks, and other implements used in worship.
  3. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: possessive genitive modifying vasa; Translation: “of the tabernacle”; Notes: restricts the vessels specifically to the sanctuary tent.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative here; Function: introduces a phrase of purpose/sphere (“for all uses and ceremonies”); Translation: “for / in”; Notes: with accusative, often expresses goal, scope, or purpose.
  5. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural common gender; Function: modifies both usus and ceremonias (by proximity especially the latter); Translation: “all”; Notes: emphasizes completeness of functions and rites.
  6. usus — Lemma: usus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 4th declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “uses”; Notes: refers to practical and ritual uses within the tabernacle service.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating, invariable; Function: links usus with ceremonias; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple additive coordinator.
  8. ceremonias — Lemma: ceremonia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: second object of in; Translation: “ceremonies”; Notes: refers to structured rites and cultic observances.
  9. tam — Lemma: tam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: first half of the correlative pair tam … quam, anticipating comparison; Translation: “both”; Notes: sets up a balanced inclusion between tabernacle and court pegs.
  10. paxillos — Lemma: paxillus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object in the tam-member (“both its pegs”); Translation: “pegs”; Notes: tent-stakes securing the tabernacle’s coverings and cords.
  11. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular common gender; Function: possessive pronoun modifying paxillos; Translation: “of it”; Notes: refers back to the tabernacle itself.
  12. quam — Lemma: quam; Part of Speech: conjunction (correlative); Form: invariable; Function: second half of the tam … quam pair; Translation: “as well as”; Notes: balances the pegs “of it” with those “of the court.”
  13. atrii — Lemma: atrium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive with an implied paxillos; Translation: “of the court”; Notes: indicates that the same rule applies to the perimeter pegs of the outer court.
  14. ex — Lemma: e / ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces the material from which the objects are made; Translation: “of / from”; Notes: standard preposition for material in Latin.
  15. ære — Lemma: aes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of material with ex; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: can cover bronze or general copper alloy; here, standard tabernacle metal for durability.
  16. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of command addressed to Moses; Translation: “you shall make”; Notes: governs the whole coordinated subject group, prescribing uniform bronze construction.

 

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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