Exodus 28:20

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:20 in quarto chrysolithus, onychinus, et beryllus. inclusi auro erunt per ordines suos.

in the fourth a chrysolite an onyx and a beryl they shall be enclosed in gold by their rows.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 in in PREP+ABL
2 quarto fourth ABL.SG.M, ADJ.POS
3 chrysolithus chrysolite NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
4 onychinus onyx NOM.SG.M, ADJ.POS, 2ND DECL
5 et and CONJ
6 beryllus beryl NOM.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
7 inclusi enclosed NOM.PL.M, PTCP.PERF.PASS
8 auro with gold ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
9 erunt they shall be 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
10 per through PREP+ACC
11 ordines rows ACC.PL.M, 3RD DECL, NOUN
12 suos their ACC.PL.M, PRON.POSS

Syntax

Locative phrase:
in quarto — ablative phrase “in the fourth [row],” with the noun (versu) implied from context.

Gemstone nominative series:
chrysolithus onychinus et beryllus — nominative list forming the stones of the fourth row; subject of the later verb through carried structure.

Predicate phrase:
inclusi auro — perfect passive participle + ablative of means: “enclosed with gold.”

erunt — future verb governing the entire predicate “they shall be enclosed.”

Final modifier phrase:
per ordines suos — accusative object of per: “according to their rows.”

Morphology

  1. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the ablative; Function: introduces spatial phrase; Translation: in; Notes: indicates row position.
  2. quarto — Lemma: quartus; Part of Speech: adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative singular masculine, positive degree; Function: modifies implied row; Translation: fourth; Notes: ablative governed by in.
  3. chrysolithus — Lemma: chrysolithus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: nominative element in gemstone list; Translation: chrysolite; Notes: first stone of the fourth row.
  4. onychinus — Lemma: onychinus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative singular masculine, positive degree; Function: coordinated nominative; Translation: onyx; Notes: adjective functioning as a noun.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins list elements; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  6. beryllus — Lemma: beryllus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: coordinated nominative; Translation: beryl; Notes: last named stone of the fourth row.
  7. inclusi — Lemma: includo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine, perfect passive participle; Function: predicate adjective modifying the gemstone list; Translation: enclosed; Notes: passive state describing setting in gold.
  8. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with gold; Notes: indicates material of enclosure.
  9. erunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall be; Notes: future indicative describing final state.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative; Function: expresses distribution; Translation: through or according to; Notes: defines order-based arrangement.
  11. ordines — Lemma: ordo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: object of per; Translation: rows; Notes: indicates structural grouping.
  12. suos — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies ordines; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive, referring to the stones’ arrangement.

 

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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