Exodus 37:18

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

18 sex in utroque latere, tres calami ex parte una, et tres ex altera:

six on each side, three branches on one side, and three on the other;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sex six INDECL.NUM
2 in in / on PREP+ABL
3 utroque each ABL.SG.M ADJ
4 latere side ABL.SG.N NOUN
5 tres three NOM.PL.M INDECL.NUM
6 calami branches NOM.PL.M NOUN
7 ex from PREP+ABL
8 parte side / part ABL.SG.F NOUN
9 una one ABL.SG.F ADJ
10 et and CONJ
11 tres three NOM.PL.M INDECL.NUM
12 ex from PREP+ABL
13 altera the other ABL.SG.F ADJ

Syntax

Quantitative Phrase:
sex in utroque latere — “six on each side.”
• sex = numeral, functioning as subject complement.
• in utroque latere = ablative of location (“in each side”).

Parallel Structures:
tres calami ex parte una — “three branches from one side.”
et tres ex altera — “and three from the other.”
• ex + ablative = source/origin.
• calami understood again in final clause by ellipsis.

Morphology

  1. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral (indeclinable); Form: invariable; Function: indicates number; Translation: six; Notes: standard cardinal numeral.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: in / on; Notes: static position.
  3. utroque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies latere; Translation: each; Notes: distributive sense.
  4. latere — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: side; Notes: spatial reference.
  5. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject for calami phrase; Translation: three; Notes: agrees with calami.
  6. calami — Lemma: calamus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: branches; Notes: menorah side-arms.
  7. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates source; Translation: from; Notes: standard use.
  8. parte — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: side / part; Notes: spatial origin.
  9. una — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies parte; Translation: one; Notes: specifies first side.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: and; Notes: list connector.
  11. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject (calami understood); Translation: three; Notes: parallel to earlier tres calami.
  12. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: repeated for symmetry.
  13. altera — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: the other; Notes: contrasts with una.

 

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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