Exodus 38:14

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:14 e quibus, quindecim cubitos columnarum trium, cum basibus suis unum tenebat latus:

of which, fifteen cubits of three columns with their bases made up one side;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 e of PREP+ABL
2 quibus which ABL.PL.C PRON.REL
3 quindecim fifteen INDECL.NUM
4 cubitos cubits ACC.PL.M NOUN
5 columnarum of the columns GEN.PL.F NOUN
6 trium three GEN.PL.NUMERAL
7 cum with PREP+ABL
8 basibus bases ABL.PL.F NOUN
9 suis their ABL.PL.F ADJ.POSS
10 unum one NOM.SG.N ADJ/NUM
11 tenebat held 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
12 latus side ACC.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

Relative prepositional opener:
e quibus — “of which,” referring to the fifty cubits of hangings mentioned previously.

Measurement expression:
quindecim cubitos — “fifteen cubits,”
• Function: direct object of tenebat in sense of “to occupy.”

Possessive genitive phrase:
columnarum trium — “of three columns,”
• Describes the support structure associated with this 15-cubit section.

Accompaniment phrase:
cum basibus suis — “with their bases,”
• Ablative of accompaniment.

Main clause:
unum tenebat latus — “held one side.”
• unum = predicate adjective modifying latus
• tenebat = “occupied / constituted”

Morphology

  1. e — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin/partitive; Translation: of; Notes: introduces a subset from the previously mentioned whole.
  2. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural common gender; Function: object of e; Translation: which; Notes: refers to the total length of eastern hangings.
  3. quindecim — Lemma: quindecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies cubitos; Translation: fifteen; Notes: exact measurement.
  4. cubitos — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of tenebat; Translation: cubits; Notes: length unit in construction.
  5. columnarum — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possession; Translation: of the columns; Notes: identifies supporting columns.
  6. trium — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: genitive plural; Function: modifies columnarum; Translation: three; Notes: expresses quantity of columns.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: links columns and their bases.
  8. basibus — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of cum; Translation: bases; Notes: foundational supports of the columns.
  9. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies basibus; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive, referring back to the columns.
  10. unum — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral/adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies latus; Translation: one; Notes: identifies a single portion of the eastern side.
  11. tenebat — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: held; Notes: imperfect denotes structural arrangement rather than a momentary action.
  12. latus — Lemma: latus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of tenebat (in sense “occupied”); Translation: side; Notes: refers to one half of the eastern courtyard frontage.

 

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.