Exodus 28:31

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:31 Facies et tunicam superhumeralis totam hyacinthinam,

You shall also make the tunic of the ephod entirely of hyacinth-blue,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facies you shall make VERB 2 FUT ACT IND 3RD CONJ
2 et and CONJ INDECL
3 tunicam tunic NOUN ACC SG F 1ST DECL
4 superhumeralis of the ephod NOUN GEN SG N 3RD DECL
5 totam entire ADJ ACC SG F
6 hyacinthinam hyacinth-colored ADJ ACC SG F

Syntax

Main Clause:
Facies et tunicam superhumeralis totam hyacinthinam — “You shall also make the tunic of the ephod entirely hyacinth-blue.”
The verb Facies governs the clause and expresses another ritual construction command.

Direct object: tunicam (“the tunic”).
Genitive modifier: superhumeralis (“of the ephod”), identifying which tunic.
Adjectives: totam (“entire”) and hyacinthinam (“hyacinth-colored”), both agreeing with tunicam.

Morphology

  1. Facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: main command; Translation: “you shall make”; Notes: future indicative with prescriptive force common in ritual instructions.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins this directive to the preceding ones; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  3. tunicam — Lemma: tunica; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “tunic”; Notes: garment worn under the ephod.
  4. superhumeralis — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, third declension; Function: genitive modifier specifying the tunic (“of the ephod”); Translation: “of the ephod”; Notes: indicates the tunic’s relation to the priestly garment.
  5. totam — Lemma: totus; Part of Speech: adjective (pronominal); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies tunicam; Translation: “entire”; Notes: emphasizes complete coloration or composition.
  6. hyacinthinam — Lemma: hyacinthinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies tunicam; Translation: “hyacinth-blue”; Notes: refers to the blue-purple dye used in sacred textiles.

 

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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