Exodus 37:26

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:26 Vestivitque illud auro purissimo cum craticula ac parietibus et cornibus.

And he overlaid it with very pure gold, together with the grating and the walls and the horns.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vestivitque and he overlaid 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 illud it ACC.SG.N PRON.DEM
3 auro with gold ABL.SG.N NOUN
4 purissimo very pure ABL.SG.N ADJ.SUPER
5 cum together with PREP+ABL
6 craticula grating ABL.SG.F NOUN
7 ac and CONJ
8 parietibus walls ABL.PL.M NOUN
9 et and CONJ
10 cornibus horns ABL.PL.N NOUN

Syntax

Main verb:
Vestivitque — “and he overlaid,” perfect tense showing completed action.

Direct object:
illud — “it,” referring to the altar.

Ablative of instrument/material:
auro purissimo — “with very pure gold.”

Accompaniment phrase with cum:
cum craticula ac parietibus et cornibus
— “together with the grating and the walls and the horns.”
All in ablative as objects of cum.

Morphology

  1. Vestivitque — Lemma: vestio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: and he overlaid; Notes: enclitic -que adds coordinated continuation.
  2. illud — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the altar previously described.
  3. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of material; Translation: with gold; Notes: expresses the substance used in overlaying.
  4. purissimo — Lemma: purus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies auro; Translation: very pure; Notes: intensifies the quality of the gold.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: with / together with; Notes: marks associated items included in the overlaying.
  6. craticula — Lemma: craticula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: grating; Notes: refers to the lattice-like top of the altar.
  7. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links coordinated ablatives; Translation: and; Notes: slightly stronger connective than et.
  8. parietibus — Lemma: paries; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: second object of cum; Translation: walls; Notes: refers to the vertical sides of the altar.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds a final item to the list; Translation: and; Notes: connects last coordinated term.
  10. cornibus — Lemma: cornu; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: final object of cum; Translation: horns; Notes: refers to the projecting horn-forms at altar corners.

 

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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