Exodus 36:38

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:38 et columnas quinque cum capitibus suis, quas operuit auro, basesque earum fudit æneas.

and five columns with their capitals, which he overlaid with gold, and he cast their bases of bronze.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 columnas columns ACC.PL.F NOUN
3 quinque five INDECL.NUM
4 cum with PREP+ABL
5 capitibus capitals ABL.PL.N NOUN
6 suis their ABL.PL.N PRON.REFL
7 quas which ACC.PL.F PRON.REL
8 operuit he covered / overlaid 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 auro with gold ABL.SG.N NOUN
10 basesque and bases ACC.PL.F NOUN + ENCLITIC -QUE
11 earum of them GEN.PL.F PRON.DEM
12 fudit he cast 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 æneas bronze ACC.PL.F ADJ

Syntax

Coordinated Object Phrase:
et columnas quinque — “and five columns.”
• Continues listing constructed items.
• quinque = numeral modifying columnas.

Accompaniment Phrase:
cum capitibus suis — “with their capitals.”
• Ablative with cum expresses accompaniment.
• suis = reflexive pronoun referring to the columns.

Relative Clause:
quas operuit auro — “which he overlaid with gold.”
• quas links back to the columns.
• auro = ablative of instrument/material.

Second Main Predicate:
basesque earum fudit æneas — “and he cast their bases of bronze.”
• basesque (bases + -que) = coordinated object.
• æneas = material adjective for bronze.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links this item with the preceding list; Translation: and; Notes: standard additive conjunction.
  2. columnas — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: columns; Notes: pillars supporting entrance curtain.
  3. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies columnas; Translation: five; Notes: cardinal numeral, no inflection.
  4. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: links columns with capitals.
  5. capitibus — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of cum; Translation: capitals; Notes: decorative tops of columns.
  6. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine/neuter; Function: modifies capitibus; Translation: their; Notes: refers back to the columns themselves.
  7. quas — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of operuit; Translation: which; Notes: introduces relative clause describing gilding.
  8. operuit — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: he covered / overlaid; Notes: perfect tense describing completed gilding.
  9. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of instrument/material; Translation: with gold; Notes: indicates gilding substance.
  10. basesque — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun + enclitic -que; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: coordinated direct object; Translation: and bases; Notes: enclitic joins bases to previous action.
  11. earum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possession; Translation: of them; Notes: refers to the columns.
  12. fudit — Lemma: fundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: he cast; Notes: describes molten metal casting.
  13. æneas — Lemma: aëneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies bases; Translation: bronze; Notes: identifies material of bases.

 

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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