Exodus 28:23

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

23 et duos annulos aureos, quos pones in utraque rationalis summitate:

and two golden rings which you shall place on each end of the breastpiece

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 duos two ACC.PL.M, ADJ, POS
3 annulos rings ACC.PL.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN
4 aureos golden ACC.PL.M, ADJ, POS
5 quos which ACC.PL.M, PRON.REL
6 pones you shall place 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 utraque each ABL.SG.F, ADJ, INDEF
9 rationalis of the breastpiece GEN.SG.N, 3RD DECL, NOUN
10 summitate end ABL.SG.F, 3RD DECL, NOUN

Syntax

Coordinating conjunction:
et — links this instruction to the previous command sequence.

Object phrase:
duos annulos aureos — direct object of the main verb pones (“you shall place”).

Relative clause:
quos pones — “which you shall place,” modifying annulos.

Prepositional phrase:
in utraque rationalis summitate — ablative phrase indicating exact location:
• in — governs ablative
• utraque — “each,” feminine ablative, modifying summitate
• rationalis — dependent genitive “of the breastpiece”
• summitate — “end, extremity”

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins this directive to the prior text; Translation: and; Notes: standard connective in ritual instructions.
  2. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: adjective (numeral); Form: accusative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: modifies annulos; Translation: two; Notes: dual object required for symmetrical attachment.
  3. annulos — Lemma: annulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, second declension; Function: direct object of pones; Translation: rings; Notes: structural parts used to attach chains.
  4. aureos — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine, positive degree; Function: modifies annulos; Translation: golden; Notes: material specification matching liturgical requirements.
  5. quos — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object inside the relative clause, referring to annulos; Translation: which; Notes: introduces relative clause with future command.
  6. pones — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: you shall place; Notes: future indicative used imperatively.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location phrase; Translation: in; Notes: static spatial meaning.
  8. utraque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: adjective (indefinite); Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies summitate; Translation: each; Notes: singular form indicates “each of two ends.”
  9. rationalis — Lemma: rationale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, third declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying summitate; Translation: of the breastpiece; Notes: identifies which object possesses the ends.
  10. summitate — Lemma: summitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, third declension; Function: object of preposition in; Translation: end; Notes: denotes upper or extreme point of the breastpiece.

 

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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