Exodus 37:17

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

17 Fecit et candelabrum ductile de auro mundissimo. De cuius vecte calami, scyphi, sphærulæque ac lilia procedebant:

And he made the lampstand, hammered, of the purest gold. From whose shaft the branches, cups, knobs, and lilies were projecting.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 candelabrum lampstand ACC.SG.N NOUN
4 ductile hammered ACC.SG.N ADJ
5 de of / from PREP+ABL
6 auro gold ABL.SG.N NOUN
7 mundissimo very pure ABL.SG.N ADJ.SUPER
8 De from PREP+ABL
9 cuius whose GEN.SG.M/F/N PRON.REL
10 vecte shaft ABL.SG.M NOUN
11 calami branches NOM.PL.M NOUN
12 scyphi cups NOM.PL.M NOUN
13 sphærulæque and knobs NOM.PL.F NOUN + CONJ
14 ac and CONJ
15 lilia lilies NOM.PL.N NOUN
16 procedebant were projecting 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause:
Fecit et candelabrum ductile de auro mundissimo — “And he made the lampstand, hammered, of the purest gold.”
• Fecit = main verb
• candelabrum = direct object
• ductile = predicate adjective describing candelabrum
• de auro mundissimo = ablative of material

De cuius vecte calami, scyphi, sphærulæque ac lilia procedebant — “From whose shaft the branches, cups, knobs, and lilies were projecting.”
• De vecte = ablative of source
• calami … lilia = compound nominative subject
• procedebant = main verb of clause

Morphology

  1. Fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: narrative perfect.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  3. candelabrum — Lemma: candelabrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: lampstand; Notes: refers to the menorah.
  4. ductile — Lemma: ductilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: describes candelabrum; Translation: hammered; Notes: indicates beaten metalwork.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates material; Translation: of / from; Notes: standard for composition.
  6. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: material; Translation: gold; Notes: identifies substance of construction.
  7. mundissimo — Lemma: mundissimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies auro; Translation: very pure; Notes: SUPER degree.
  8. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: introduces relative clause.
  9. cuius — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: connects clause; Translation: whose; Notes: agrees with implied candelabrum.
  10. vecte — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: shaft; Notes: central stem of lampstand.
  11. calami — Lemma: calamus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: branches; Notes: refers to side arms of the lampstand.
  12. scyphi — Lemma: scyphus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: cups; Notes: decorative flower-shaped cups.
  13. sphærulæque — Lemma: sphærula; Part of Speech: noun + enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: and knobs; Notes: -que attaches to the preceding item.
  14. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates; Translation: and; Notes: stronger connective than et.
  15. lilia — Lemma: lilium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: lilies; Notes: floral decorative elements.
  16. procedebant — Lemma: procedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: were projecting; Notes: imperfect describes continuous extension.

 

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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