Exodus 38:12

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:12 In ea vero plaga, quæ ad Occidentem respicit, fuerunt tentoria cubitorum quinquaginta, columnæ decem cum basibus suis æneæ, et capita columnarum, et tota operis cælatura, argentea.

But on that side which faces toward the West there were hangings of fifty cubits, ten columns with their bases of bronze, and the capitals of the columns, and all the engraving of the work, were silver.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 In in PREP+ABL
2 ea that ABL.SG.F PRON.DEM
3 vero indeed ADV
4 plaga side ABL.SG.F NOUN
5 quæ which NOM.SG.F PRON.REL
6 ad toward PREP+ACC
7 Occidentem the West ACC.SG.M NOUN
8 respicit faces 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 fuerunt there were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 tentoria hangings NOM.PL.N NOUN
11 cubitorum of cubits GEN.PL.M NOUN
12 quinquaginta fifty INDECL.NUM
13 columnæ columns NOM.PL.F NOUN
14 decem ten INDECL.NUM
15 cum with PREP+ABL
16 basibus bases ABL.PL.F NOUN
17 suis their ABL.PL.F ADJ.POSS
18 æneæ bronze NOM.PL.F ADJ
19 et and CONJ
20 capita capitals NOM.PL.N NOUN
21 columnarum of the columns GEN.PL.F NOUN
22 et and CONJ
23 tota all NOM.SG.F ADJ
24 operis of the work GEN.SG.N NOUN
25 cælatura engraving NOM.SG.F NOUN
26 argentea silver NOM.SG.F ADJ

Syntax

Locative phrase:
In ea vero plaga — “But in that side”
• ea plaga = location
• vero adds mild emphasis

Relative clause of specification:
quæ ad Occidentem respicit — “which faces toward the West”
• respicit = present descriptive action

Main clause:
fuerunt tentoria cubitorum quinquaginta — “there were hangings of fifty cubits”
• tentoria = subject
• cubitorum quinquaginta = genitive of measure

Additional coordinated elements (nominatives):
columnæ decem cum basibus suis æneæ — “ten columns with their bronze bases”

Continuation:
et capita columnarum — “and the capitals of the columns”

Final nominative phrase:
et tota operis cælatura argentea — “and all the engraving of the work was silver”
• argentea = predicate adjective

Morphology

  1. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: introduces location.
  2. ea — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies plaga; Translation: that; Notes: refers to previously described side.
  3. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: indeed; Notes: postpositive.
  4. plaga — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: side; Notes: refers to a boundary side of the courtyard.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of respicit; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to plaga.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: toward; Notes: common with verbs of orientation.
  7. Occidentem — Lemma: occidens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: complement of ad; Translation: the West; Notes: geographic orientation.
  8. respicit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: faces; Notes: denotes standing orientation.
  9. fuerunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: there were; Notes: perfect summarizing existence.
  10. tentoria — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: hangings; Notes: linen coverings forming the courtyard boundary.
  11. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: measure phrase; Translation: of cubits; Notes: genitive of measure.
  12. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies cubitorum; Translation: fifty; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  13. columnæ — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject element; Translation: columns; Notes: support structures.
  14. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: ten; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  15. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: shows inclusion of bases.
  16. basibus — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of cum; Translation: bases; Notes: column supports.
  17. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies basibus; Translation: their; Notes: refers to each column’s own base.
  18. æneæ — Lemma: aeneus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: describes columnæ; Translation: bronze; Notes: denotes metal composition.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins items; Translation: and; Notes: standard linker.
  20. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject element; Translation: capitals; Notes: upper parts of columns.
  21. columnarum — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the columns; Notes: clarifies which capitals.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds final element; Translation: and; Notes: cumulative linking.
  23. tota — Lemma: totus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies cælatura; Translation: all; Notes: expresses totality of the craftsmanship.
  24. operis — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: defines type of workmanship; Translation: of the work; Notes: refers to artisan execution.
  25. cælatura — Lemma: caelatura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject element; Translation: engraving; Notes: denotes decorative metalwork.
  26. argentea — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: silver; Notes: describes metal 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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