Exodus 28:8

Posted on March 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 28:8 Ipsa quoque textura et cuncta operis varietas erit ex auro et hyacintho, et purpura, coccoque bis tincto, et bysso retorta.

The very weaving itself, and every workmanship of varied design, shall be of gold and hyacinth-blue, and purple, and scarlet twice-dyed, and twisted fine linen.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ipsa the very NOM.SG.F, ADJ.DEM
2 quoque also ADV.INDECL
3 textura weaving NOM.SG.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN
4 et and CONJ
5 cuncta all NOM.SG.F, ADJ.INDECL
6 operis of the work GEN.SG.N, 3RD DECL, NOUN
7 varietas variety NOM.SG.F, 3RD DECL, NOUN
8 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 ex from/of PREP+ABL
10 auro gold ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
11 et and CONJ
12 hyacintho hyacinth-blue ABL.SG.N, 2ND DECL, NOUN
13 et and CONJ
14 purpura purple ABL.SG.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN
15 coccoque and scarlet ABL.SG.M, 2ND DECL, NOUN + ENCLITIC -QUE
16 bis twice ADV.INDECL
17 tincto dyed ABL.SG.M, PTCP.PERF.PASS
18 et and CONJ
19 bysso fine linen ABL.SG.F, 1ST DECL, NOUN (VARIANT)
20 retorta twisted ABL.SG.F, PTCP.PERF.PASS

Syntax

Subject Phrase (Compound Nominatives):
Ipsa textura — “the very weaving itself.”
cuncta operis varietas — “every variety of workmanship.”
Both are subjects of erit.

Predicate / Material Construction:
erit ex auro et hyacintho et purpura, cocco bis tincto, et bysso retorta —
Ablatives of material following ex:
• auro — gold
• hyacintho — hyacinth-blue
• purpura — purple
• cocco bis tincto — with scarlet twice-dyed
• bysso retorta — twisted fine linen

No subordinate clause; one declarative construction with a compound subject.

Morphology

  1. Ipsa — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: intensifier modifying textura; Translation: the very; Notes: emphasizes the weaving itself.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis (“also”); Translation: also; Notes: soft continuity particle.
  3. textura — Lemma: textura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: subject; Translation: weaving; Notes: refers to the woven structure of the ephod.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects compound subjects; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  5. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies varietas; Translation: all / every; Notes: distributive emphasis (“every variety”).
  6. operis — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter, 3rd declension; Function: dependent genitive modifying varietas; Translation: of the work; Notes: denotes workmanship or craftsmanship.
  7. varietas — Lemma: varietas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, 3rd declension; Function: subject with textura; Translation: variety; Notes: refers to decorative patterns or embroidery.
  8. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall be; Notes: declarative specification.
  9. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces material; Translation: of / from; Notes: standard ablative of material preposition.
  10. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: material ablative; Translation: gold; Notes: first material listed.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinator; Translation: and; Notes: links materials.
  12. hyacintho — Lemma: hyacinthus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter, 2nd declension; Function: material ablative; Translation: hyacinth-blue; Notes: refers to blue dye or wool.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connector; Translation: and; Notes: links hyacintho and purpura.
  14. purpura — Lemma: purpura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine, 1st declension; Function: material ablative; Translation: purple; Notes: prestigious dye from murex shellfish.
  15. coccoque — Lemma: coccus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine, 2nd declension + enclitic -que; Function: material ablative; Translation: and scarlet; Notes: enclitic -que tightly joins it with purpura.
  16. bis — Lemma: bis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies tincto; Translation: twice; Notes: expresses intensity.
  17. tincto — Lemma: tingo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies cocco; Translation: dyed; Notes: describes deep-dyed scarlet.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces final item; Translation: and; Notes: final coordinator of the series.
  19. bysso — Lemma: byssus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine (variant), 1st declension; Function: ablative of material; Translation: fine linen; Notes: premium linen used for sacred works.
  20. retorta — Lemma: retorqueo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine perfect passive participle; Function: modifies bysso; Translation: twisted; Notes: indicates spun, tightly twisted linen threads.

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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