Exodus 37:4

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:4 Vectes quoque fecit de lignis setim, quos vestivit auro,

He also made poles of setim wood, which he overlaid with gold,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vectes poles NOM.PL.M NOUN
2 quoque also ADV
3 fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 de of / from PREP+ABL
5 lignis woods / timber ABL.PL.N NOUN
6 setim acacia ABL.PL.N NOUN.INDECL
7 quos which ACC.PL.M PRON.REL
8 vestivit he overlaid 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 auro with gold ABL.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause:
Vectes quoque fecit — “He also made poles.”
• vectes = subject.
• fecit = main verb.
• quoque = adverb adding the poles to the previous list of constructed items.

Material Phrase:
de lignis setim — “of acacia wood.”
• de + ablative indicates material or source.

Relative Clause:
quos vestivit auro — “which he overlaid with gold.”
• quos = refers back to vectes.
• auro = ablative of material.

Morphology

  1. Vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: poles; Notes: carrying poles for the ark.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds this item to the preceding actions; Translation: also; Notes: standard additive adverb.
  3. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: narrative perfect.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material; Translation: of / from; Notes: material construction marker.
  5. lignis — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: woods / timber; Notes: refers to boards or pieces of acacia.
  6. setim — Lemma: setim; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: ablative plural; Function: specifies the type of wood; Translation: acacia; Notes: Hebrew loanword (šittāh wood).
  7. quos — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of vestivit; Translation: which; Notes: refers to the poles.
  8. vestivit — Lemma: vestio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: he overlaid; Notes: often used for covering with metal.
  9. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of material; Translation: with gold; Notes: indicates gilding material.

 

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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