Exodus 37:8

Posted on March 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 37:8 Cherub unum in summitate unius partis, et Cherub alterum in summitate partis alterius: duos Cherubim in singulis summitatibus propitiatorii,

one Cherub on the top of one side, and the other Cherub on the top of the other side: two Cherubim on the two tops of the propitiatory.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cherub Cherub ACC.SG.M NOUN.INDECL
2 unum one ACC.SG.M ADJ.NUM
3 in on PREP+ABL
4 summitate top ABL.SG.F NOUN
5 unius of one GEN.SG.F ADJ.NUM
6 partis side GEN.SG.F NOUN
7 et and CONJ
8 Cherub Cherub ACC.SG.M NOUN.INDECL
9 alterum the other ACC.SG.M ADJ
10 in on PREP+ABL
11 summitate top ABL.SG.F NOUN
12 partis side GEN.SG.F NOUN
13 alterius of the other GEN.SG.F ADJ
14 duos two ACC.PL.M NUM
15 Cherubim Cherubim ACC.PL.M NOUN.INDECL
16 in on PREP+ABL
17 singulis each ABL.PL.F ADJ
18 summitatibus tops ABL.PL.F NOUN
19 propitiatorii of the propitiatory GEN.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

Parallel Object Constructions:
Cherub unum in summitate unius partis — “one Cherub on the top of one side.”
• Cherub unum = object phrase.
• in summitate unius partis = spatial location.

Cherub alterum in summitate partis alterius — “the other Cherub on the top of the other side.”
• Structural parallelism emphasizes symmetry of the mercy seat.

Summary Statement:
duos Cherubim in singulis summitatibus propitiatorii — “two Cherubim on the two tops of the propitiatory.”
• singulis = distributive: one on each top.

Morphology

  1. Cherub — Lemma: Cherub; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: Cherub; Notes: Hebrew loanword, no Latin inflection.
  2. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Cherub; Translation: one; Notes: specifies the first of the pair.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: on; Notes: static spatial meaning.
  4. summitate — Lemma: summitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: top; Notes: architectural high point.
  5. unius — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies partis; Translation: of one; Notes: expresses “one side.”
  6. partis — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: complements unius; Translation: of a side; Notes: structural element of the propitiatory.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links parallel phrase; Translation: and; Notes: joins symmetrical description.
  8. Cherub — Lemma: Cherub; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object; Translation: Cherub; Notes: second figure.
  9. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Cherub; Translation: the other; Notes: contrasts with unum.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: location; Translation: on; Notes: same pattern as earlier phrase.
  11. summitate — Lemma: summitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: top; Notes: repeated for symmetry.
  12. partis — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies phrase; Translation: of the side; Notes: refers to the opposite side.
  13. alterius — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies partis; Translation: of the other; Notes: complementary pair.
  14. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object; Translation: two; Notes: summarizes total.
  15. Cherubim — Lemma: Cherubim; Part of Speech: noun (indeclinable); Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: Cherubim; Notes: total pair.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: on; Notes: spatial phrase.
  17. singulis — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: distributive; Translation: each; Notes: “one each” on the two summits.
  18. summitatibus — Lemma: summitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: tops; Notes: two raised ends of the propitiatory.
  19. propitiatorii — Lemma: propitiatorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possession; Translation: of the propitiatory; Notes: the platform flanked by the Cherubim.

 

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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