Exodus 27:4

Posted on March 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 27:4 Craticulamque in modum retis æneam: per cuius quattuor angulos erunt quattuor annuli ænei,

And a grating in the manner of a mesh, of bronze; and at its four corners shall be four bronze rings,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Craticulamque and a grating ACC.SG.F 1ST DECL
2 in in PREP+ACC
3 modum manner ACC.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 retis mesh GEN.SG.N 3RD DECL
5 æneam bronze ACC.SG.F ADJ
6 per through/at PREP+ACC
7 cuius whose/of which GEN.SG.M/F/N PRON.REL
8 quattuor four INVAR.NUM
9 angulos corners ACC.PL.M 2ND DECL
10 erunt will be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
11 quattuor four INVAR.NUM
12 annuli rings NOM.PL.M 2ND DECL
13 ænei bronze NOM.PL.M ADJ

Syntax

Object phrase: Craticulamque is the object of an implied “you shall make” (continuing from the previous verse).
The phrase in modum retis expresses manner (“in the manner of a mesh”), with retis as a genitive of description.
The adjective æneam modifies craticulam (“bronze”).

Relative clause: per cuius quattuor angulos introduces a spatial relation (“at whose four corners”).
The main verb of the clause is erunt, with quattuor annuli ænei as its subject (“four bronze rings”).

Morphology

  1. Craticulamque — Lemma: craticula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, 1st declension with enclitic –que; Function: direct object; Translation: “and a grating”; Notes: continues list of altar components.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces manner phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: idiomatically “in the manner of.”
  3. modum — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of in; Translation: “manner”; Notes: part of idiom.
  4. retis — Lemma: rete; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: genitive of description; Translation: “of a mesh”; Notes: describes type of grating.
  5. æneam — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies craticulam; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: material descriptor.
  6. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces spatial expression; Translation: “through/at”; Notes: here denotes spatial relation.
  7. cuius — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive singular all genders; Function: relates back to craticulam; Translation: “whose/of which”; Notes: heads relative phrase.
  8. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies angulos; Translation: “four”; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  9. angulos — Lemma: angulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: object of per; Translation: “corners”; Notes: spatial markers.
  10. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “will be”; Notes: links subject predicate.
  11. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: modifies annuli; Translation: “four”; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  12. annuli — Lemma: annulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of erunt; Translation: “rings”; Notes: structural elements.
  13. ænei — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies annuli; Translation: “bronze”; Notes: matches gender/number of noun.

 

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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