Exodus 28:28

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:28 et stringatur rationale annulis suis cum annulis superhumeralis vitta hyacinthina, ut maneat iunctura fabrefacta, et a seinvicem rationale et superhumerale nequeant separari.

and the breastpiece shall be fastened by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a hyacinth-colored cord, so that the joining may remain well-crafted, and the breastpiece and the ephod may not be able to be separated from one another.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ INDECL
2 stringatur let it be fastened VERB 3 PRES PASS SUBJ 3RD CONJ
3 rationale the breastpiece NOUN NOM SG N 3RD DECL
4 annulis by the rings NOUN ABL PL M 2ND DECL
5 suis its PRON POSS ABL PL M
6 cum with PREP+ABL INDECL
7 annulis rings NOUN ABL PL M 2ND DECL
8 superhumeralis of the ephod NOUN GEN SG N 3RD DECL
9 vitta a cord NOUN ABL SG F 1ST DECL
10 hyacinthina hyacinth-colored ADJ ABL SG F
11 ut so that CONJ INDECL
12 maneat may remain VERB 3 PRES ACT SUBJ 2ND CONJ
13 iunctura the joining NOUN NOM SG F 1ST DECL
14 fabrefacta well-crafted PTCP PERF PASS NOM SG F
15 et and CONJ INDECL
16 a by PREP+ABL INDECL
17 seinvicem from one another ADV INDECL
18 rationale the breastpiece NOUN NOM SG N 3RD DECL
19 et and CONJ INDECL
20 superhumerale the ephod NOUN NOM SG N 3RD DECL
21 nequeant may not be able VERB 3 PRES ACT SUBJ IRREG
22 separari to be separated VERB INF PASS

Syntax

Main clause:
stringatur rationale annulis suis is a jussive passive subjunctive: “let the breastpiece be fastened by its rings.”
The ablative phrase annulis suis expresses instrument.

Coordinated prepositional phrase:
cum annulis superhumeralis indicates the second set of rings involved in the fastening, belonging to the ephod.

Instrumental ablative:
vitta hyacinthina — “with a hyacinth-colored cord,” the physical means securing the connection.

Purpose clause #1:
ut maneat iunctura fabrefacta — “so that the joining may remain well-crafted.”
The verb maneat is subjunctive of purpose.

Purpose clause #2 (negative):
et … rationale et superhumerale nequeant separari — “and the breastpiece and the ephod may not be able to be separated.”
The subject is a compound rationale et superhumerale;
nequeant expresses inability as desired outcome.
a seinvicem (“from one another”) expresses separation.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects this fastening instruction to the prior one; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues the construction requirements.
  2. stringatur — Lemma: stringo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present passive subjunctive, third conjugation; Function: jussive passive (“let it be fastened”); Translation: “let it be fastened”; Notes: ritual directives frequently use the subjunctive to express commands.
  3. rationale — Lemma: rationale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter, third declension; Function: subject of stringatur; Translation: “the breastpiece”; Notes: technical term for the High Priest’s breastpiece.
  4. annulis — Lemma: annulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, second declension; Function: instrumental ablative; Translation: “by the rings”; Notes: breastpiece’s own rings.
  5. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies annulis; Translation: “its”; Notes: reflexive, referring back to the breastpiece.
  6. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: indicates fastening to another set of rings.
  7. annulis — Lemma: annulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “rings”; Notes: ephod’s rings.
  8. superhumeralis — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the ephod”; Notes: indicates ownership of rings.
  9. vitta — Lemma: vitta; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, first declension; Function: instrumental ablative; Translation: “with a cord”; Notes: refers to the binding cord.
  10. hyacinthina — Lemma: hyacinthinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies vitta; Translation: “hyacinth-colored”; Notes: denotes purple-blue color used in priestly garments.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: marks intended result of fastening.
  12. maneat — Lemma: maneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive, second conjugation; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may remain”; Notes: expresses desired permanence.
  13. iunctura — Lemma: iunctura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of maneat; Translation: “the joining”; Notes: refers to the crafted connection of breastpiece and ephod.
  14. fabrefacta — Lemma: fabrefactus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies iunctura; Translation: “well-crafted”; Notes: emphasizes workmanship.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links second purpose clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues consequence of fastening.
  16. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: standard marker of separation.
  17. seinvicem — Lemma: se invicem; Part of Speech: adverbial phrase; Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses reciprocal relation; Translation: “from one another”; Notes: occurs in variant spellings in manuscripts.
  18. rationale — Lemma: rationale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of nequeant separari (first element of compound subject); Translation: “the breastpiece”; Notes: part of inseparable pair.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins compound subject; Translation: “and”; Notes: couples the two garments grammatically.
  20. superhumerale — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: second part of compound subject; Translation: “the ephod”; Notes: inseparable from breastpiece by design.
  21. nequeant — Lemma: nequeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active subjunctive; Function: negative purpose (“may not be able”); Translation: “may not be able”; Notes: expresses intended impossibility.
  22. separari — Lemma: separo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive to nequeant; Translation: “to be separated”; Notes: final goal of construction is unity of the sacred garments.

 

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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