Exodus 37:7

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:7 Duos etiam Cherubim ex auro ductili, quos posuit ex utraque parte propitiatorii:

He also made two Cherubim of beaten gold, which he placed on each side of the propitiatory;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Duos two ACC.PL.M NUM
2 etiam also ADV
3 Cherubim Cherubim ACC.PL.M NOUN.INDECL
4 ex from / of PREP+ABL
5 auro gold ABL.SG.N NOUN
6 ductili beaten / hammered ABL.SG.N ADJ
7 quos which ACC.PL.M PRON.REL
8 posuit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ex on / from PREP+ABL
10 utraque each ABL.SG.F ADJ
11 parte side ABL.SG.F NOUN
12 propitiatorii of the propitiatory GEN.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

Object Phrase:
Duos etiam Cherubim — “two Cherubim also.”
• duos modifies Cherubim.
• etiam adds them to the ongoing list of items crafted.

Material Phrase:
ex auro ductili — “of beaten gold.”
• ablative of material.
• ductili describes the gold as hammered or wrought.

Relative Clause:
quos posuit ex utraque parte propitiatorii — “which he placed on each side of the propitiatory.”
• quos refers to the Cherubim.
• ex utraque parte = locative expression meaning “on each side.”

Morphology

  1. Duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies Cherubim; Translation: two; Notes: cardinal numeral used for count of figures.
  2. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds Cherubim to the list; Translation: also; Notes: emphasizes inclusion.
  3. Cherubim — Lemma: Cherubim; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable borrowing); Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: Cherubim; Notes: Hebrew loanword used as indeclinable in Latin.
  4. ex — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: material/source; Translation: of; Notes: typical for composition.
  5. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: material; Translation: gold; Notes: substance of the Cherubim.
  6. ductili — Lemma: ductilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies auro; Translation: beaten / hammered; Notes: describes a technique of shaping gold.
  7. quos — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of posuit; Translation: which; Notes: refers to the Cherubim.
  8. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he placed; Notes: describes the setting of the Cherubim.
  9. ex — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location from a boundary; Translation: on / from; Notes: idiomatic in spatial expressions.
  10. utraque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: distributive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies parte; Translation: each; Notes: means “both/either of two.”
  11. parte — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: side; Notes: refers to the two sides of the mercy-seat.
  12. propitiatorii — Lemma: propitiatorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possession; Translation: of the propitiatory; Notes: identifies the sacred object the Cherubim flank.

 

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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