Exodus 38:27

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:27 Centum bases factæ sunt de talentis centum, singulis talentis per bases singulas supputatis.

One hundred bases were made from one hundred talents, with one talent reckoned for each single base.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Centum one hundred INDECL.NUM
2 bases bases NOM.PL.F NOUN
3 factæ made NOM.PL.F PTCP.PERF.PASS
4 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 talentis talents ABL.PL.N NOUN
7 centum one hundred INDECL.NUM
8 singulis each ABL.PL.F ADJ
9 talentis talents ABL.PL.N NOUN
10 per for PREP+ACC
11 bases bases ACC.PL.F NOUN
12 singulas each ACC.PL.F ADJ
13 supputatis reckoned ABL.PL.N PTCP.PERF.PASS

Syntax

Main clause:
Centum bases factæ sunt — pluperfect sense via perfect passive periphrasis.

Material source phrase:
de talentis centum — ablative of material/origin.

Instrumental / distributive construction:
singulis talentis per bases singulas supputatis
• singulis talentis = ablative of specification/instrument
• per bases singulas = distributive “for each individual base”
• supputatis = perfect passive participle modifying talentis.

Morphology

  1. Centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: quantifies bases; Translation: one hundred; Notes: exact count for inventory.
  2. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: bases; Notes: socket elements for the frames.
  3. factæ — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive; Function: predicate with sunt; Translation: made; Notes: passive describes manufacturing.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: were; Notes: completes perfect passive.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: ablative of material; Translation: from; Notes: specifies substance.
  6. talentis — Lemma: talentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: material; Translation: talents; Notes: heavy-weight measure.
  7. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: quantifies talentis; Translation: one hundred; Notes: matches count of bases.
  8. singulis — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: distributive modifier; Translation: each; Notes: indicates one-to-one accounting.
  9. talentis — Lemma: talentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of instrument/specification; Translation: talents; Notes: relates to participle supputatis.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: distributive expression; Translation: for; Notes: marks allocation.
  11. bases — Lemma: basis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: bases; Notes: individual units.
  12. singulas — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifiers of bases; Translation: each; Notes: reinforces one-per-base distribution.
  13. supputatis — Lemma: supputo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: having been reckoned; Notes: indicates calculated measure.

 

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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