Exodus 27:3

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:3 Faciesque in usus eius lebetes ad suscipiendos cineres, et forcipes atque fuscinulas, et ignium receptacula. omnia vasa ex ære fabricabis.

And you shall make for its use cauldrons for receiving ashes, and tongs and hooks, and fire-pans; all the vessels you shall fashion from bronze.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Faciesque and you shall make 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 in for PREP+ACC
3 usus uses ACC.PL.M 4TH DECL
4 eius its GEN.SG.M/N PRON.POSS
5 lebetes cauldrons ACC.PL.M 3RD DECL
6 ad for PREP+ACC
7 suscipiendos receiving ACC.PL.M PTCP.FUT.PASS
8 cineres ashes ACC.PL.M 3RD DECL
9 et and CONJ
10 forcipes tongs ACC.PL.F 3RD DECL
11 atque and also CONJ
12 fuscinulas little forks/hooks ACC.PL.F 1ST DECL
13 et and CONJ
14 ignium fires GEN.PL.M 3RD DECL
15 receptacula fire-pans ACC.PL.N 2ND DECL
16 omnia all ACC.PL.N ADJ.INDEF
17 vasa vessels ACC.PL.N 2ND DECL
18 ex from PREP+ABL
19 ære bronze ABL.SG.N 3RD DECL
20 fabricabis you shall fashion 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main clause: Faciesque is the governing verb (future indicative), taking a compound object consisting of several ritual implements:
lebetes, forcipes, fuscinulas, and receptacula.

The phrase in usus eius specifies purpose (“for its use”).
The phrase ad suscipiendos cineres gives further telic purpose (“for receiving ashes”).

Second clause: fabricabis takes the object omnia vasa and the ablative material phrase ex ære (“from bronze”).

Morphology

  1. Faciesque — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular with enclitic –que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and you shall make”; Notes: imperatival future.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces purpose phrase; Translation: “for”; Notes: expresses intended use.
  3. usus — Lemma: usus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 4th declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “uses”; Notes: plural of function/purpose.
  4. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: possessor; Translation: “its”; Notes: refers to the altar.
  5. lebetes — Lemma: lebes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “cauldrons”; Notes: ritual vessels.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces telic clause; Translation: “for”; Notes: expresses intended purpose.
  7. suscipiendos — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural masculine future passive participle; Function: modifier of lebetes; Translation: “for receiving”; Notes: gerundive of purpose.
  8. cineres — Lemma: cinis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of verbal idea in suscipiendos; Translation: “ashes”; Notes: sacrificial residue.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: connective.
  10. forcipes — Lemma: forceps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “tongs”; Notes: used to handle coals.
  11. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds emphasis in list; Translation: “and also”; Notes: stronger than et.
  12. fuscinulas — Lemma: fuscinula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “hooks”; Notes: diminutive form.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: additive; Function: joins last two objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: connective.
  14. ignium — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: genitive dependent on receptacula; Translation: “of fires”; Notes: specifying type.
  15. receptacula — Lemma: receptaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, 2nd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “fire-pans”; Notes: implements for holding coals.
  16. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasa; Translation: “all”; Notes: comprehensive.
  17. vasa — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of fabricabis; Translation: “vessels”; Notes: includes all listed items.
  18. ex — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: material source; Translation: “from”; Notes: describes composition.
  19. ære — Lemma: aes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of material; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: metal used for sanctuary vessels.
  20. fabricabis — Lemma: fabrico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “you shall fashion”; Notes: craftsmanship command.

 

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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