Exodus 36:27

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:27 Contra Occidentem vero, idest, ad eam partem tabernaculi, quæ mare respicit, fecit sex tabulas,

But toward the West, that is, on that side of the tabernacle, which faces the sea, he made six boards,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Contra toward / facing PREP+ACC
2 Occidentem the West ACC.SG.M NOUN
3 vero but / indeed ADV
4 idest that is ADV (EXPLANATORY)
5 ad toward PREP+ACC
6 eam that ACC.SG.F PRON.DEM
7 partem side ACC.SG.F NOUN
8 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N NOUN
9 quæ which NOM.SG.F PRON.REL
10 mare the sea ACC.SG.N NOUN
11 respicit faces / looks toward 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 sex six INDECL.NUM
14 tabulas boards ACC.PL.F NOUN

Syntax

Directional Phrase:
Contra Occidentem — “toward the West.”
• contra + accusative expresses facing or orientation.

Parenthetical Explanation:
vero, idest, ad eam partem tabernaculi…
• vero adds contrast.
• idest gives clarification.
• ad eam partem tabernaculi = defines the western side specifically.

Relative Clause of Description:
quæ mare respicit — “which faces the sea.”
• quæ refers to partem.
• respicit = descriptive present.

Main Clause:
fecit sex tabulas — “he made six boards.”
• sex tabulas = direct object.

Morphology

  1. Contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses orientation or facing; Translation: toward / facing; Notes: spatial here, not adversative.
  2. Occidentem — Lemma: Occidens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: the West; Notes: classical term for the westward direction.
  3. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds contrast/emphasis; Translation: but / indeed; Notes: common connective in narrative description.
  4. idest — Lemma: id est; Part of Speech: adverb (fused phrase); Form: invariable; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: that is; Notes: clarifying gloss inside the sentence.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: directional phrase; Translation: toward; Notes: marks orientation of the side.
  6. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies partem; Translation: that; Notes: points to a specific cardinal side.
  7. partem — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: side; Notes: used of sides of a structure.
  8. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possession/association; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: identifies the structure’s side.
  9. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of respicit; Translation: which; Notes: refers to partem.
  10. mare — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of respicit; Translation: the sea; Notes: in biblical geography, “sea” = west.
  11. respicit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: expresses orientation; Translation: faces; Notes: present denotes stable position.
  12. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: perfect recounts completed construction.
  13. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies tabulas; Translation: six; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  14. tabulas — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of fecit; Translation: boards; Notes: wall planks forming the western side.

 

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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