Exodus 37:14

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

14 contra coronam: misitque in eos vectes, ut possit mensa portari.

opposite the crown; and he put the poles into them, so that the table might be carried.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 contra opposite PREP+ACC
2 coronam crown ACC.SG.F NOUN
3 misitque and he put 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
4 in into PREP+ACC
5 eos them ACC.PL.M PRON.DEM
6 vectes poles ACC.PL.M NOUN
7 ut so that CONJ.PURPOSE
8 possit it might be able 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 mensa table NOM.SG.F NOUN
10 portari to be carried PRES.PASS.INF

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase:
contra coronam — “opposite the crown.”
• Indicates spatial position of the rings relative to the golden crown.

Main Clause:
misitque in eos vectes — “and he put the poles into them.”
• misitque = verb with enclitic -que.
• in eos = into the rings.
• vectes = direct object.

Purpose Clause:
ut possit mensa portari — “so that the table might be carried.”
• possit = subjunctive expressing purpose.
• portari = passive infinitive “to be carried.”

Morphology

  1. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses location opposite something; Translation: opposite; Notes: spatial preposition.
  2. coronam — Lemma: corona; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of contra; Translation: crown; Notes: refers to the decorative molding.
  3. misitque — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative + -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and he put; Notes: -que connects with previous clause.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses movement into; Translation: into; Notes: directional usage.
  5. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the rings.
  6. vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: poles; Notes: carrying poles for transporting the table.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: requires subjunctive verb.
  8. possit — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: it might be able; Notes: expresses intended result.
  9. mensa — Lemma: mensa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of possit; Translation: table; Notes: refers to the table of showbread.
  10. portari — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: infinitive; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: predicate of purpose clause; Translation: to be carried; Notes: passive form expressing the transported object.

 

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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