Exodus 36:22

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:22 Binæ incastraturæ erant per singulas tabulas, ut altera alteri iungeretur. Sic fecit in omnibus tabernaculi tabulis.

There were two mortise-joints for each board, so that one might be joined to the other. Thus he made for all the boards of the tabernacle.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Binæ two NOM.PL.F ADJ.NUM
2 incastraturæ mortise-joints NOM.PL.F NOUN
3 erant were 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
4 per for / through PREP+ACC
5 singulas each ACC.PL.F ADJ
6 tabulas boards ACC.PL.F NOUN
7 ut so that CONJ.SUBORD
8 altera one NOM.SG.F PRON
9 alteri to the other DAT.SG.F PRON
10 iungeretur might be joined 3SG.IMP.PASS.SUBJ
11 Sic thus ADV
12 fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 omnibus all ABL.PL.F ADJ
15 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N NOUN
16 tabulis boards ABL.PL.F NOUN

Syntax

Statement of Design:
Binæ incastraturæ erant per singulas tabulas
• Binæ incastraturæ = nominative subject.
• erant = linking verb.
• per singulas tabulas = distributive phrase (“for each board”).

Purpose Clause:
ut altera alteri iungeretur
• ut introduces purpose.
• altera … alteri = reciprocal pair (“one … to the other”).
• iungeretur = imperfect passive subjunctive of intended joining.

Summary Clause:
Sic fecit in omnibus tabernaculi tabulis
• Sic = adverb meaning “thus / in this manner.”
• fecit = main verb summarizing the completed method.
• in omnibus tabernaculi tabulis = ablative phrase marking location of uniform procedure.

Morphology

  1. Binæ — Lemma: bini; Part of Speech: distributive numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: quantifies incastraturæ; Translation: two; Notes: distributive numerals indicate “two for each.”
  2. incastraturæ — Lemma: incastratura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of erant; Translation: mortise-joints; Notes: technical woodworking term for interlocking joints.
  3. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: expresses state; Translation: were; Notes: descriptive imperfect.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: distributive phrase; Translation: for / through; Notes: marks “for each.”
  5. singulas — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies tabulas; Translation: each; Notes: distributive adjective.
  6. tabulas — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: boards; Notes: refers to wall-boards of the structure.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: standard final clause marker.
  8. altera — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of iungeretur; Translation: one; Notes: reciprocal counterpart of alteri.
  9. alteri — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the other; Notes: expresses the reciprocal relationship.
  10. iungeretur — Lemma: iungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect passive subjunctive; Function: verb of the purpose clause; Translation: might be joined; Notes: passive denotes being joined rather than joining.
  11. Sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: indicates manner; Translation: thus; Notes: summarizes the method uniformly applied.
  12. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of summary; Translation: he made; Notes: perfect narrates completed act.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: in; Notes: standard spatial expression.
  14. omnibus — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies tabulis; Translation: all; Notes: stresses universality.
  15. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: modifies tabulis; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: identifies context.
  16. tabulis — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: boards; Notes: ablative of location.

 

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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