Exodus 38:29

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:29 Æris quoque oblata sunt talenta septuaginta duo millia, et quadringenti supra sicli,

There were also offerings of bronze: seventy-two thousand talents, and in addition four hundred shekels,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Æris of bronze GEN.SG.N NOUN
2 quoque also ADV
3 oblata offerings NOM.PL.N PTCP.PERF.PASS
4 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 talenta talents NOM.PL.N NOUN
6 septuaginta seventy INDECL.NUM
7 duo two INDECL.NUM
8 millia thousands NOM.PL.N NOUN
9 et and CONJ
10 quadringenti four hundred NOM.PL.M NUM
11 supra in addition ADV
12 sicli shekels NOM.PL.M NOUN

Syntax

Main clause:
Æris quoque oblata sunt — “there were also offerings of bronze.”
• Æris = genitive of material
• oblata sunt = perfect passive “were offered / were offerings”

Quantity phrase:
talenta septuaginta duo millia — apposition giving total: “seventy-two thousand talents.”

Additional amount:
et quadringenti supra sicli — “and four hundred shekels in addition.”
• supra = “besides / over and above”
• sicli = nominative plural as a second enumerated quantity.

Morphology

  1. Æris — Lemma: aes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: material genitive; Translation: of bronze; Notes: specifies type of offering.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds this category to previous lists; Translation: also; Notes: broadens the inventory.
  3. oblata — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive; Function: subject complement with sunt; Translation: offered / offerings; Notes: used substantively to denote donations.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural present active indicative; Function: completes passive periphrasis; Translation: were; Notes: expresses existence of offerings.
  5. talenta — Lemma: talentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: enumerated quantity; Translation: talents; Notes: major weight unit.
  6. septuaginta — Lemma: septuaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: numeric modifier; Translation: seventy; Notes: part of composite numeral.
  7. duo — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: completes composite numeral; Translation: two; Notes: forms “seventy-two.”
  8. millia — Lemma: mille; Part of Speech: noun (collective); Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: gives the unit “thousands”; Translation: thousands; Notes: standard construction for large totals.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links additional quantity; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  10. quadringenti — Lemma: quadringenti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: independent quantity; Translation: four hundred; Notes: usually agrees with sicli by proximity.
  11. supra — Lemma: supra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: indicates addition beyond prior total; Translation: in addition; Notes: marks supplemental count.
  12. sicli — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: enumerated unit; Translation: shekels; Notes: smaller weight used alongside talents.

 

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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