Exodus 37:21

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:21 et sphærulæ sub duobus calamis per loca tria, qui simul sex fiunt calami procedentes de vecte uno.

and knobs beneath two branches in three places, which together make six branches that extend from one shaft.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 sphærulæ knobs NOM.PL.F NOUN
3 sub under PREP+ABL
4 duobus two ABL.PL.M NUM
5 calamis branches ABL.PL.M NOUN
6 per through / in PREP+ACC
7 loca places ACC.PL.N NOUN
8 tria three ACC.PL.N NUM
9 qui which NOM.PL.M PRON.REL
10 simul together ADV
11 sex six INDECL.NUM
12 fiunt become / result in 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
13 calami branches NOM.PL.M NOUN
14 procedentes extending NOM.PL.M PTCP.PRES.ACT
15 de from PREP+ABL
16 vecte shaft ABL.SG.M NOUN
17 uno one ABL.SG.M ADJ

Syntax

Coordinated phrase:
et sphærulæ sub duobus calamis per loca tria — “and knobs beneath two branches in three places.”
• sphærulæ = nominative subject.
• sub duobus calamis = ablative of position (“under two branches”).
• per loca tria = distributive phrase (“in three places”).

Relative clause:
qui simul sex fiunt calami — “which together make six branches.”
• qui refers to the decorative units or structural group.
• fiunt = “become / result in,” forming a total of six.
• sex modifies calami.

Present participle phrase:
procedentes de vecte uno — “extending from one shaft.”
• procedentes describes the six branches.
• de vecte uno = ablative of source.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clause to previous description; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  2. sphærulæ — Lemma: sphærula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: knobs; Notes: decorative bulb-like ornaments.
  3. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses position; Translation: under; Notes: standard ablative of location.
  4. duobus — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies calamis; Translation: two; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  5. calamis — Lemma: calamus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of sub; Translation: branches; Notes: menorah arms.
  6. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: distributive expression; Translation: in; Notes: marks repeated positions.
  7. loca — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of per; Translation: places; Notes: uses regular neuter plural form.
  8. tria — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies loca; Translation: three; Notes: agrees with neuter plural.
  9. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to structural elements forming a total set.
  10. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: indicates unity; Translation: together; Notes: stresses combined total.
  11. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies calami; Translation: six; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  12. fiunt — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: result in / become; Notes: used for forming/ resulting.
  13. calami — Lemma: calamus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject complement with fiunt; Translation: branches; Notes: refers to total number of arms.
  14. procedentes — Lemma: procedo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: modifies calami; Translation: extending; Notes: describes continual extension outward.
  15. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: ablative of origin again.
  16. vecte — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: shaft; Notes: central stem of lampstand.
  17. uno — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies vecte; Translation: one; Notes: emphasizes that all branches come from a single shaft.

 

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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