Exodus 28:14

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:14 et duas catenulas ex auro purissimo sibi invicem cohærentes, quas inseres uncinis.

and two little chains of the purest gold, joined to one another, and you shall insert them into the hooks.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 duas two ACC.PL.F, ADJ.NUM
3 catenulas little chains ACC.PL.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN
4 ex of PREP+ABL
5 auro gold ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
6 purissimo purest ABL.SG.N, ADJ.SUPER
7 sibi to one another DAT.SG.REFL, PRON
8 invicem mutually ADV
9 cohærentes clinging NOM.PL.F, PTCP.PRES.ACT
10 quas which ACC.PL.F, PRON.REL
11 insertes you shall insert 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ
12 uncinis into the hooks ABL.PL.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN

Syntax

Noun Phrase:
duas catenulas ex auro purissimo — direct object of the later implied action, describing “two little chains of the purest gold.”

Participial modifier:
cohærentes — nominative plural participle describing the two chains: “joined,” “clinging,” “interlocked.”

Reflexive construction:
sibi invicem — “to one another mutually,” expressing reciprocal attachment.

Relative clause:
quas insertes uncinis — future directive: Moses is to “insert them into the hooks.”

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates this command with the previous; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  2. duas — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies catenulas; Translation: two; Notes: feminine form agrees with catenulas.
  3. catenulas — Lemma: catenula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine, 1st declension; Function: direct object; Translation: little chains; Notes: diminutive of catena, referring to decorative chains.
  4. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: of; Notes: material ablative.
  5. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: object of ex; Translation: gold; Notes: specifies composition.
  6. purissimo — Lemma: purus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter, superlative degree; Function: modifies auro; Translation: purest; Notes: SUPER used correctly as required.
  7. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object expressing mutual relation; Translation: to one another; Notes: reflexive, referring back to catenulas.
  8. invicem — Lemma: invicem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: expresses mutuality; Translation: mutually; Notes: strengthens reciprocal action.
  9. cohærentes — Lemma: cohæreo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine, present active participle; Function: modifies catenulas; Translation: clinging; Notes: describes how the chains are interlinked.
  10. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: introduces relative clause referring to catenulas; Translation: which; Notes: agrees in gender and number with antecedent.
  11. insertes — Lemma: insero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular future active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: you shall insert; Notes: future indicative used for command/instruction.
  12. uncinis — Lemma: uncinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, 2nd declension; Function: ablative of place with insertion; Translation: into the hooks; Notes: describes where the chains are to be set.

 

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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