Exodus 37:28

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:28 Ipsos autem vectes fecit de lignis setim, et operuit laminis aureis.

And the poles themselves he made from setim wood, and he covered them with gold plates.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ipsos themselves ACC.PL.M PRON.DEM
2 autem however CONJ
3 vectes poles ACC.PL.M NOUN
4 fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 lignis woods ABL.PL.N NOUN
7 setim setim ABL.PL.N NOUN.INDECL
8 et and CONJ
9 operuit he covered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 laminis with plates ABL.PL.F NOUN
11 aureis golden ABL.PL.F ADJ

Syntax

Main clause:
Ipsos autem vectes fecit de lignis setim — Direct object (ipsos vectes) + verb (fecit) + ablative of material (de lignis setim).

Coordinated clause:
et operuit laminis aureis — Verb (operuit) + ablative of instrument (laminis aureis).

Morphology

  1. Ipsos — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: intensifies vectes; Translation: themselves; Notes: emphatic use highlighting these poles specifically.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: mild contrastive connector; Translation: however; Notes: postpositive particle.
  3. vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of fecit; Translation: poles; Notes: transport poles for sacred objects.
  4. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: narrative perfect typical of biblical Latin.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: from; Notes: indicates source substance.
  6. lignis — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: woods; Notes: refers to acacia wood.
  7. setim — Lemma: setim; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: ablative plural by meaning; Function: specifies type of wood; Translation: setim; Notes: Hebrew loanword for acacia.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects coordinated verb phrase; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  9. operuit — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of second coordinated clause; Translation: he covered; Notes: describes application of plating.
  10. laminis — Lemma: lamina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with plates; Notes: thin sheets of metal.
  11. aureis — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies laminis; Translation: golden; Notes: denotes material purity.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Exodus. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.