Exodus 39:17

Posted on March 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 39:17 e quibus penderent duæ catenæ aureæ, quas inseruerunt uncinis, qui in superhumeralis angulis eminebant.

from which hung two golden chains, which they inserted into the hooks that projected on the corners of the shoulderpiece.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 e from PREP+ABL
2 quibus which PRON.ABL.PL.M/F/N.REL
3 penderent hung 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.ACT.3RD CONJ
4 duæ two ADJ.NOM.PL.F
5 catenæ chains NOUN.NOM.PL.F
6 aureæ golden ADJ.NOM.PL.F
7 quas which PRON.ACC.PL.F.REL
8 inseruerunt they inserted 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
9 uncinis into the hooks NOUN.ABL.PL.M
10 qui which PRON.NOM.PL.M.REL
11 in in / on PREP+ABL
12 superhumeralis of the shoulderpiece NOUN.GEN.SG.N
13 angulis corners NOUN.ABL.PL.M
14 eminebant projected 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ

Syntax

The prepositional phrase e quibus introduces a relative clause whose antecedent is the previously mentioned gold rings. The verb penderent (imperfect subjunctive) expresses the hanging of the chains as a descriptive action.

The subject of this relative clause is duæ catenæ aureæ—“two golden chains.”

A second relative clause follows: quas inseruerunt uncinis, with quas referring to the chains and inseruerunt providing the completed action of inserting them into the hooks.

The final clause qui in superhumeralis angulis eminebant modifies uncinis, describing these hooks as those that “projected on the corners of the shoulderpiece.”

Morphology

  1. e — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing ablative; Function: Indicates source; Translation: from; Notes: Refers to the rings described in the prior verse.
  2. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Ablative plural (all genders); Function: Introduces relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the rings.
  3. penderent — Lemma: pendeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural imperfect active subjunctive; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: hung; Notes: Descriptive subjunctive.
  4. duæ — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Modifies catenæ; Translation: two; Notes: Feminine because catena is feminine.
  5. catenæ — Lemma: catena; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural feminine, first declension; Function: Subject of penderent; Translation: chains; Notes: These are the gold chains attached to the breastpiece system.
  6. aureæ — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Modifies catenæ; Translation: golden; Notes: Indicates the material.
  7. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object of inseruerunt; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the chains.
  8. inseruerunt — Lemma: insero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: Main verb of second relative clause; Translation: they inserted; Notes: Completed action describing the fastening of the chains.
  9. uncinis — Lemma: uncinus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine, second declension; Function: Object of the preposition implied by inseruerunt (“inserted into”); Translation: into the hooks; Notes: These are the fastening hooks of the priestly garments.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Introduces relative clause modifying uncinis; Translation: which; Notes: Refers to the hooks.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing ablative; Function: Marks location; Translation: in/on; Notes: Specifies position on the vestment.
  12. superhumeralis — Lemma: superhumerale; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular neuter; Function: Dependent genitive modifying angulis; Translation: of the shoulderpiece; Notes: Technical Vulgate term for the priestly shoulder garment; not related to the Latin adjective superhumeralis.
  13. angulis — Lemma: angulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: corners; Notes: Refers to the projecting corners where the hooks were located.
  14. eminebant — Lemma: emineo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Third person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: Verb of final relative clause; Translation: projected; Notes: Describes the protrusion of the hooks from the shoulderpiece.

 

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.