Exodus 36:9

Posted on March 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 36:9 quarum una habebat in longitudine vigintiocto cubitos, et in latitudine quattuor. una mensura erat omnium cortinarum.

of which one had in length twenty-eight cubits, and in width four. One measurement was that of all the curtains.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quarum of which GEN.PL.F PRON.REL
2 una one NOM.SG.F ADJ
3 habebat had 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 longitudine length ABL.SG.F NOUN
6 vigintiocto twenty-eight INDECL.NUM
7 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M NOUN
8 et and CONJ
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 latitudine width ABL.SG.F NOUN
11 quattuor four INDECL.NUM
12 una one NOM.SG.F ADJ
13 mensura measurement NOM.SG.F NOUN
14 erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
15 omnium of all GEN.PL.N ADJ
16 cortinarum of the curtains GEN.PL.F NOUN

Syntax

Relative Clause:
quarum una habebat in longitudine vigintiocto cubitos — describes one curtain from the group.
• quarum introduces the relative clause (“of which”).
• una is the subject of habebat.
• in longitudine expresses the dimension.
• vigintiocto cubitos is the internal accusative expressing measurement.

Second Dimensional Phrase:
et in latitudine quattuor — supplements the previous measurement with width.

Main Clause:
una mensura erat omnium cortinarum — one uniform measurement applied to all the curtains.
• una mensura = subject + predicate noun.
• erat = copula.
• omnium cortinarum = genitive phrase expressing the group measured.

Morphology

  1. quarum — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: introduces relative clause referring to curtains; Translation: of which; Notes: feminine agrees with implied cortinae.
  2. una — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective (numeral); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of habebat; Translation: one; Notes: indicates one curtain from the set.
  3. habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: had; Notes: imperfect describes characteristic dimension.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces dimension phrase; Translation: in; Notes: classical idiom for specifying measurement.
  5. longitudine — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: length; Notes: technical term for dimension.
  6. vigintiocto — Lemma: viginti octo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies cubitos; Translation: twenty-eight; Notes: written as a single fused form in the Clementine text.
  7. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: internal accusative of measure; Translation: cubits; Notes: standard unit of length.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the second dimensional phrase to the first; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces second dimension phrase; Translation: in; Notes: identical function to previous in longitudine.
  10. latitudine — Lemma: latitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: width; Notes: establishes horizontal measurement.
  11. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies implied cubiti; Translation: four; Notes: internal accusative understood (“four cubits”).
  12. una — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of erat; Translation: one; Notes: introduces universal measurement.
  13. mensura — Lemma: mensura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: measurement; Notes: expresses standard dimension.
  14. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: copula linking subject and predicate; Translation: was; Notes: imperfect states continual condition.
  15. omnium — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies cortinarum; Translation: of all; Notes: expresses total inclusion.
  16. cortinarum — Lemma: cortina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive of omnium; Translation: of the curtains; Notes: refers back to the ten curtains described earlier.

 

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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