Exodus 35:25

Posted on March 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 35:25 Sed et mulieres doctæ, quæ neverant, dederunt hyacinthum, purpuram, et vermiculum, ac byssum,

But also the women who were skilled, who had spun, gave hyacinth, purple, and scarlet, and fine linen,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ
2 et also CONJ
3 mulieres women NOUN.NOM.PL.F.3RD DECL
4 doctæ skilled ADJ.NOM.PL.F.POS
5 quæ who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.F
6 neverant had spun 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND.2ND CONJ
7 dederunt gave 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND.1ST CONJ
8 hyacinthum hyacinth (blue cloth) NOUN.ACC.SG.N.2ND DECL
9 purpuram purple NOUN.ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL
10 et and CONJ
11 vermiculum scarlet NOUN.ACC.SG.M.2ND DECL
12 ac and CONJ
13 byssum fine linen NOUN.ACC.SG.F.1ST DECL

Syntax

Main Clause: mulieres doctæ (subject) + dederunt (verb).

Subordinate Clause: quæ neverant — relative clause modifying mulieres, giving their qualification as women who had spun.

Objects:
hyacinthum, purpuram, vermiculum, byssum — coordinated direct objects of dederunt, forming a list of precious textiles.

Connectives:
Sed et — adversative-additive link to the previous verse, highlighting an additional group of contributors;
et, ac — join the items in the object list.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces a contrastive or adversative addition; Translation: but; Notes: here marks a new but related group in the narrative.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: adds emphasis to the inclusion of women; Translation: also; Notes: semantically “and also,” reinforcing addition to what precedes.
  3. mulieres — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine (3rd declension); Function: subject of dederunt; Translation: women; Notes: core subject, further qualified by the participial adjective and relative clause.
  4. doctæ — Lemma: doctus; Part of Speech: adjective (verbal adjective from doceo); Form: nominative plural feminine positive degree; Function: predicate or attributive adjective modifying mulieres; Translation: skilled; Notes: highlights technical competence in textile work.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: introduces a relative clause referring back to mulieres; Translation: who; Notes: agrees in gender and number with its antecedent.
  6. neverant — Lemma: neo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third person plural (2nd conjugation); Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: had spun; Notes: pluperfect marks action completed prior to the giving described by dederunt.
  7. dederunt — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person plural (1st conjugation); Function: main finite verb of the sentence; Translation: gave; Notes: perfect aspect presents the offering as a completed historical act.
  8. hyacinthum — Lemma: hyacinthus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter (2nd declension); Function: direct object of dederunt; Translation: hyacinth (blue cloth); Notes: technical term for a specific blue-dyed fabric used in the tabernacle.
  9. purpuram — Lemma: purpura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine (1st declension); Function: direct object of dederunt; Translation: purple; Notes: another luxury dye-textile, forming part of the coordinated list.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: joins purpuram and vermiculum within the list; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective inside the series of offerings.
  11. vermiculum — Lemma: vermiculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (2nd declension); Function: direct object of dederunt; Translation: scarlet; Notes: refers to scarlet material or dye derived from small insects (literally “little worm”).
  12. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable coordinating conjunction; Function: links the final item byssum to the existing object list; Translation: and; Notes: slightly more emphatic or elevated connective than et, often used stylistically.
  13. byssum — Lemma: byssus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine (1st declension); Function: direct object of dederunt; Translation: fine linen; Notes: denotes high-quality linen cloth, prominent among tabernacle 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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