Exodus 28:6

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:6 Facient autem superhumerale de auro et hyacintho et purpura, coccoque bis tincto, et bysso retorta, opere polymito.

And they shall make the ephod of gold and hyacinth-blue and purple, and scarlet twice-dyed, and twisted fine linen, with embroidered work.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Facient they shall make 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND, 3RD CONJ
2 autem however CONJ
3 superhumerale ephod ACC.SG.N, 3RD DECL, NOUN
4 de of/from PREP+ABL
5 auro gold ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
6 et and CONJ
7 hyacintho hyacinth-blue ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
8 et and CONJ
9 purpura purple ABL.SG.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN
10 coccoque and scarlet ABL.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN + ENCLITIC -QUE
11 bis twice ADV.INDECL
12 tincto dyed ABL.SG.M, PTCP.PERF.PASS
13 et and CONJ
14 bysso fine linen ABL.SG.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN (VARIANT)
15 retorta twisted ABL.SG.F, PTCP.PERF.PASS
16 opere with work ABL.SG.N, 3RD DECL, NOUN
17 polymito embroidered ABL.SG.N, ADJ.POS

Syntax

Main Clause:
Facient — future indicative, main verb (“they shall make”).
superhumerale — direct object of facient.

Material Phrases (Ablatives of Material):
Each following ablative phrase expresses the materials from which the ephod is to be made:
de auro — of gold
et hyacintho — and hyacinth-blue
et purpura — and purple
cocco bis tincto — with scarlet twice-dyed (bis modifying tincto; tincto modifying cocco)
et bysso retorta — and with twisted fine linen

Final Instrumental Phrase:
opere polymito — “with embroidered work,” ablative of means describing workmanship.

Morphology

  1. Facient — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall make; Notes: refers to the skilled artisans appointed earlier.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connective particle; Translation: however; Notes: transitions to a new instruction.
  3. superhumerale — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: ephod; Notes: principal priestly garment.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: of / from; Notes: introduces raw materials.
  5. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: ablative of material; Translation: gold; Notes: first of several materials.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates items; Translation: and; Notes: standard connective.
  7. hyacintho — Lemma: hyacinthus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: ablative of material; Translation: hyacinth-blue; Notes: blue dye or blue fabric.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connector; Translation: and; Notes: links hyacintho and purpura.
  9. purpura — Lemma: purpura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: material ablative; Translation: purple; Notes: prestigious dye material.
  10. coccoque — Lemma: coccus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension + enclitic -que; Function: material ablative; Translation: and scarlet; Notes: -que binds it closely with purpura.
  11. bis — Lemma: bis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies tincto; Translation: twice; Notes: intensifies the dyeing process.
  12. tincto — Lemma: tingo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies cocco; Translation: dyed; Notes: “twice-dyed” indicates deep scarlet.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connector; Translation: and; Notes: introduces last item.
  14. bysso — Lemma: byssus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine (variant), 1st declension; Function: ablative of material; Translation: fine linen; Notes: premium-quality linen material.
  15. retorta — Lemma: retorqueo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies bysso; Translation: twisted; Notes: indicates spun or twisted linen threads.
  16. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with work; Notes: part of final craftsmanship phrase.
  17. polymito — Lemma: polymitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies opere; Translation: embroidered; Notes: describes elaborate multicolored weaving.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.