Exodus 38:5

Posted on March 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 38:5 fusis quattuor annulis per totidem retiaculi summitates, ad immittendos vectes ad portandum:

with four rings cast at the four corners of the grating, for inserting the poles for carrying;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 fusis with … cast ABL.PL.M PTCP.PERF.PASS
2 quattuor four NUM.INDECL
3 annulis rings ABL.PL.M NOUN
4 per at PREP+ACC
5 totidem the same number of NUM.INDECL
6 retiaculi of the grating GEN.SG.N NOUN
7 summitates tops ACC.PL.F NOUN
8 ad for PREP+ACC
9 immittendos to insert ACC.PL.M GERUNDV
10 vectes poles ACC.PL.M NOUN
11 ad for PREP+ACC
12 portandum carrying ACC.SG.N GERUND

Syntax

Ablative absolute:
fusis quattuor annulis — “with four rings having been cast,” describes prior or accompanying action.

Locative construction:
per totidem retiaculi summitates — “at the four corners of the grating,” i.e., one ring at each corner.

Purpose phrase #1:
ad immittendos vectes — “for inserting the poles.”

Purpose phrase #2:
ad portandum — “for carrying,” referring to the altar.

Morphology

  1. fusis — Lemma: fundo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: with … cast; Notes: describes rings formed by casting.
  2. quattuor — Lemma: quattuor; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annulis; Translation: four; Notes: cardinal numeral of quantity.
  3. annulis — Lemma: annulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute noun; Translation: rings; Notes: metal loops used for transporting the altar.
  4. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses spatial distribution; Translation: at; Notes: used for marking points along an object.
  5. totidem — Lemma: totidem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies summitates; Translation: the same number of; Notes: emphasizes correspondence (4 rings / 4 corners).
  6. retiaculi — Lemma: retiaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: specifies object whose corners are referenced; Translation: of the grating; Notes: diminutive form of rete, meaning a small net-like structure.
  7. summitates — Lemma: summitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: tops / corners; Notes: points where rings were attached.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: for; Notes: final clause indicator.
  9. immittendos — Lemma: immitto; Part of Speech: gerundive; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: expresses necessity/purpose modifying vectes; Translation: to be inserted; Notes: gerundive of purpose tied to transport poles.
  10. vectes — Lemma: vectis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of immittendos; Translation: poles; Notes: beams inserted into rings for carrying.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces second purpose phrase; Translation: for; Notes: used idiomatically with gerunds.
  12. portandum — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: gerund; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: expresses final purpose; Translation: carrying; Notes: refers to transport of the altar.

 

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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