Exodus 38:28

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:28 De mille autem septingentis, et septuaginta quinque fecit capita columnarum, quas et ipsas vestivit argento.

But from one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five he made the capitals of the columns, and he covered those also with silver.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 mille a thousand INDECL.NUM
3 autem however ADV
4 septingentis seven hundred ABL.PL.M NUM
5 et and CONJ
6 septuaginta seventy INDECL.NUM
7 quinque five INDECL.NUM
8 fecit he made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 capita capitals ACC.PL.N NOUN
10 columnarum of the columns GEN.PL.F NOUN
11 quas which ACC.PL.F PRON.REL
12 et and CONJ
13 ipsas those also ACC.PL.F PRON.DEM
14 vestivit he covered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 argento with silver ABL.SG.N NOUN

Syntax

Prepositional phrase:
De mille autem septingentis et septuaginta quinque — ablative of source; the total amount used.

Main clause:
fecit capita columnarum — direct object = capita, genitive = columnarum.

Relative clause:
quas et ipsas vestivit argento — refers back to capita columnarum; argento = ablative of means “with silver.”

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses material source; Translation: from; Notes: introduces total amount of silver.
  2. mille — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: part of numeric expression; Translation: one thousand; Notes: base component of combined figure.
  3. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: however; Notes: shifts focus to a secondary allocation.
  4. septingentis — Lemma: septingenti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: continues numeric total in ablative; Translation: seven hundred; Notes: agrees with implied siclis or talentis.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links numbers; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  6. septuaginta — Lemma: septuaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: numeric value; Translation: seventy; Notes: part of combined enumeration.
  7. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: completes numeric figure; Translation: five; Notes: totals 1,775.
  8. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he made; Notes: perfective narrative of manufacture.
  9. capita — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: capitals; Notes: decorative tops of columns.
  10. columnarum — Lemma: columna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possession; Translation: of the columns; Notes: shows which capitals.
  11. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to capita.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: and; Notes: reinforces addition.
  13. ipsas — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: intensifying pronoun; Translation: those also; Notes: stresses same items.
  14. vestivit — Lemma: vestio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: he covered; Notes: typical verb for overlaying with metal.
  15. argento — Lemma: argentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with silver; Notes: describes material used for overlaying.

 

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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