Exodus 28:18

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

18 in secundo carbunculus, sapphirus, et iaspis:

in the second, a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 in in PREP+ABL
2 secundo second ABL.SG.M, ADJ, POS
3 carbunculus carbuncle NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
4 sapphirus sapphire NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
5 et and CONJ
6 iaspis jasper NOM.SG.F, 3RD DECL, NOUN

Syntax

Elliptical placement phrase:
in secundo — ablative phrase “in the second [row],” with the noun “row” (versu) understood from the previous context.

Nominative list of stones:
carbunculus sapphirus et iaspis — three coordinated nominative nouns, functioning as the stones assigned to the second row, with an implied verb “erit” (“there shall be”) carried over from the pattern of the preceding verse.

Morphology

  1. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative; Function: introduces a prepositional phrase of location; Translation: in; Notes: here marks the row in which these stones are set.
  2. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative singular masculine, positive degree; Function: modifies an implied masculine noun (versu “row”); Translation: second; Notes: ablative required by the preposition in.
  3. carbunculus — Lemma: carbunculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: nominative in a list functioning as subject of an implied “there shall be”; Translation: carbuncle; Notes: the first gemstone in the second row.
  4. sapphirus — Lemma: sapphirus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: coordinated nominative with carbunculus; Translation: sapphire; Notes: the second gemstone listed for this row.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the final noun iaspis to the previous two; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinating conjunction joining the gemstone list.
  6. iaspis — Lemma: iaspis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: third coordinated nominative in the list; Translation: jasper; Notes: completes the trio of stones set in the second row.

 

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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