Exodus 28:11

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:11 Opere sculptoris et cælatura gemmarii, sculpes eos nominibus filiorum Israel, inclusos auro atque circumdatos:

With the workmanship of a sculptor and the engraving of a gem-cutter, you shall engrave them with the names of the sons of Israel, enclosed in gold and encircled;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Opere with the work ABL.SG.N, 3RD DECL, NOUN
2 sculptoris of a sculptor GEN.SG.M, 3RD DECL, NOUN
3 et and CONJ
4 cælatura engraving NOM.SG.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN
5 gemmarii of a gem-cutter GEN.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
6 sculpes you shall engrave 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ
7 eos them ACC.PL.M, PRON.PERS
8 nominibus with the names ABL.PL.N, 3RD DECL, NOUN
9 filiorum of the sons GEN.PL.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
10 Israel Israel GEN.SG.M, NOUN.INDECL
11 inclusos enclosed ACC.PL.M, PTCP.PERF.PASS
12 auro in gold ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
13 atque and also CONJ
14 circumdatos encircled ACC.PL.M, PTCP.PERF.PASS

Syntax

Instrumental Ablatives:
Opere sculptoris — “with the work of a sculptor,” ablative of means.
et cælatura gemmarii — “and the engraving of a gem-cutter,” nominative linked as a parallel instrumental idea modifying the action of sculpes by sense.

Main Clause:
sculpes — finite future verb addressing Moses.
eos — direct object, referring to the stones.

Instrumental Phrase:
nominibus filiorum Israel — ablative expressing the content of the engraving (“with the names of the sons of Israel”).

Participial Modifiers:
inclusos auro — “enclosed in gold,” accusative plural masculine agreeing with eos.
circumdatos — “encircled,” also describing eos; shows their gold settings.

Morphology

  1. Opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with the work; Notes: indicates the craftsmanship employed.
  2. sculptoris — Lemma: sculptor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 3rd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying opere; Translation: of a sculptor; Notes: highlights artisan skill.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins sculptoris and cælatura; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  4. cælatura — Lemma: cælatura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: coordinated nominative linked with opere in instrumental sense; Translation: engraving; Notes: refers to specialized gem-cutting.
  5. gemmarii — Lemma: gemmarius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying cælatura; Translation: of a gem-cutter; Notes: identifies type of engraving.
  6. sculpes — Lemma: sculpo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall engrave; Notes: command directed to Moses for preparation of priestly objects.
  7. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of sculpes; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the two onyx stones previously mentioned.
  8. nominibus — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of content/instrument; Translation: with the names; Notes: indicates what is engraved on the stones.
  9. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying nominibus; Translation: of the sons; Notes: refers to tribal names.
  10. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: specifying genitive; Translation: of Israel; Notes: indeclinable Hebrew name; case from grammar.
  11. inclusos — Lemma: includo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies eos; Translation: enclosed; Notes: describes the setting of the stones in gold.
  12. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: in gold; Notes: specifies the material of the setting.
  13. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins inclusos and circumdatos; Translation: and also; Notes: stronger connective than et.
  14. circumdatos — Lemma: circumdo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies eos; Translation: encircled; Notes: describes the ornamental gold banding around the stones.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.