Exodus 27:2

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:2 Cornua autem per quattuor angulos ex ipso erunt: et operies illud ære.

But the horns shall be from itself at the four corners, and you shall cover it with bronze.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cornua horns NOM.PL.N 4TH DECL
2 autem however CONJ
3 per through PREP+ACC
4 quattuor four INVAR.NUM
5 angulos corners ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL
6 ex from PREP+ABL
7 ipso itself ABL.SG.N PRON.DEM
8 erunt they will be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 operies you shall cover 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 illud it ACC.SG.N PRON.DEM
12 ære with bronze ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL

Syntax

First clause: Cornua (subject) + erunt (verb) expresses existence: the horns “shall be” ex ipso (from itself).
The phrase per quattuor angulos indicates spatial distribution (at the four corners).

Second clause: operies (main verb) governs illud as direct object and ære as material instrument (“with bronze”).

Morphology

  1. Cornua — Lemma: cornu; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter, 4th declension; Function: subject of erunt; Translation: “horns”; Notes: refers to projections on the altar.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: contrasts with prior statement; Translation: “however”; Notes: postpositive particle.
  3. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks spatial distribution; Translation: “through/at”; Notes: here meaning “at.”
  4. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies angulos; Translation: “four”; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  5. angulos — Lemma: angulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of per; Translation: “corners”; Notes: indicates position of horns.
  6. ex — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: implies continuity of material.
  7. ipso — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of ex; Translation: “itself”; Notes: refers to the altar-body.
  8. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they will be”; Notes: agrees with plural subject cornua.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive connector.
  10. operies — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb (imperatival future); Translation: “you shall cover”; Notes: construction command.
  11. illud — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of operies; Translation: “it”; Notes: refers to the altar.
  12. ære — Lemma: aes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of material/instrument; Translation: “with bronze”; Notes: specifies construction 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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