Exodus 36:21

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:21 Decem cubitorum erat longitudo tabulæ unius: et unum ac semis cubitum latitudo retinebat.

The length of each board was ten cubits, and its width held one and a half cubits.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Decem ten INDECL.NUM
2 cubitorum cubits GEN.PL.M NOUN
3 erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
4 longitudo length NOM.SG.F NOUN
5 tabulæ of the board GEN.SG.F NOUN
6 unius of one GEN.SG.F ADJ.NUM
7 et and CONJ
8 unum one ACC.SG.N ADJ.NUM
9 ac and CONJ
10 semis half INDECL.NUM
11 cubitum cubit ACC.SG.N NOUN
12 latitudo width NOM.SG.F NOUN
13 retinebat held 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Clause 1:
Decem cubitorum erat longitudo tabulæ unius
• longitudo = subject.
• erat = linking verb.
• Decem cubitorum = genitive of measure (“of ten cubits”).
• tabulæ unius = genitive specifying “of each board.”

Clause 2:
et unum ac semis cubitum latitudo retinebat
• latitudo = subject.
• retinebat = verb meaning “held / measured.”
• unum ac semis cubitum = object: “one and a half cubits.”

Morphology

  1. Decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies cubitorum; Translation: ten; Notes: standard cardinal numeral.
  2. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: cubits; Notes: expresses a dimension.
  3. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: was; Notes: imperfect expresses description rather than narrative action.
  4. longitudo — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of erat; Translation: length; Notes: dimensional noun.
  5. tabulæ — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possession; Translation: of the board; Notes: modifies longitudo.
  6. unius — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: quantifying which board; Translation: of one; Notes: emphasizes uniformity.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues measurement description.
  8. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: part of object phrase with cubitum; Translation: one; Notes: beginning of compound measurement.
  9. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins elements of measurement; Translation: and; Notes: alternate to et, used before consonants.
  10. semis — Lemma: semis; Part of Speech: numeral (fraction); Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses fractional quantity; Translation: half; Notes: classical fractional numeral.
  11. cubitum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of retinebat; Translation: cubit; Notes: concluding the compound “one and a half cubits.”
  12. latitudo — Lemma: latitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of retinebat; Translation: width; Notes: dimensional noun parallel to longitudo.
  13. retinebat — Lemma: retineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: expresses constant measurement; Translation: held; Notes: implies fixed structural dimension.

 

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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