Exodus 36:31

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:31 Fecit et vectes de lignis setim, quinque ad continendas tabulas unius lateris tabernaculi,

And he made bars of setim wood, five for holding together the boards of one side of the tabernacle,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 vectes bars ACC.PL.M NOUN
4 de of / from PREP+ABL
5 lignis woods ABL.PL.N NOUN
6 setim acacia ABL.PL.N NOUN
7 quinque five INDECL.NUM
8 ad for / to PREP+ACC
9 continendas for holding together ACC.PL.F PTCP.FUT.PASS (GERUNDIVE)
10 tabulas boards ACC.PL.F NOUN
11 unius of one GEN.SG.M/F PRON/ADJ
12 lateris side GEN.SG.N NOUN
13 tabernaculi of the tabernacle GEN.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause:
Fecit et vectes — “And he made bars.”
• Fecit = main verb.
• vectes = direct object.

Material Phrase:
de lignis setim — “of setim (acacia) wood.”
• ablative of material.

Purpose Phrase with Gerundive:
quinque ad continendas tabulas — “five for holding together the boards.”
• ad + gerundive = purpose.
• continendas modifies tabulas: “boards that are to be held together.”

Genitive of Specification:
unius lateris tabernaculi — “of one side of the tabernacle.”
• restricts which boards are meant.

Morphology

  1. Fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: perfect used for narrative progression.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects this construction with previous actions; Translation: and; Notes: sequential connector.
  3. vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of fecit; Translation: bars; Notes: refers to crossbars reinforcing the structure.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: of / from; Notes: indicates constituent substance.
  5. lignis — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: woods; Notes: denotes wooden components generally.
  6. setim — Lemma: setim; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies lignis; Translation: acacia; Notes: wood type commonly used in sanctuary construction.
  7. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numeric modifier; Translation: five; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: for / to; Notes: used with gerundive for intended function.
  9. continendas — Lemma: contineo; Part of Speech: participle (gerundive); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: expresses purpose with ad; Translation: for holding together; Notes: gerundive meaning “that are to be held together.”
  10. tabulas — Lemma: tabula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of continendas; Translation: boards; Notes: boards needing reinforcement.
  11. unius — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/feminine; Function: modifies lateris; Translation: of one; Notes: specifies a single side.
  12. lateris — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: side; Notes: architectural orientation term.
  13. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifies structure; Translation: of the tabernacle; Notes: links phrase to sanctuary construction.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.