Exodus 39:29

Posted on March 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 39:29 Fecerunt et laminam sacræ venerationis de auro purissimo, scripseruntque in ea opere gemmario, Sanctum Domini:

And they made the plate of sacred veneration from the purest gold, and they engraved on it in jeweler’s work, “Holy to the LORD”;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecerunt they made 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ
2 et and CONJ
3 laminam plate NOUN.ACC.SG.F
4 sacræ of sacred ADJ.GEN.SG.F
5 venerationis veneration NOUN.GEN.SG.F
6 de from / of PREP+ABL
7 auro gold NOUN.ABL.SG.N
8 purissimo very pure ADJ.ABL.SG.N.SUPER
9 scripseruntque and they engraved 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND.3RD CONJ+ENCL
10 in on / in PREP+ABL
11 ea on it PRON.ABL.SG.F
12 opere in the work NOUN.ABL.SG.N
13 gemmario of a jeweler ADJ.ABL.SG.N
14 Sanctum Holy ADJ.ACC.SG.N
15 Domini of the LORD NOUN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

The craftsmanship description continues with the main verb Fecerunt and coordinated scripseruntque, narrating both the making and engraving of the sacred plate.

The direct object is laminam, further defined by the genitive phrase sacræ venerationis (“of sacred veneration”), indicating its liturgical purpose.

The ablative phrase de auro purissimo expresses the material, “from the purest gold.”

The prepositional phrase in ea marks the location of the engraving, while opere gemmario denotes the specialized technical skill used—work of a jeweler.

The inscription Sanctum Domini functions as the content of the engraving, meaning “Holy to the LORD.”

Morphology

  1. Fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative, third conjugation; Function: main verb; Translation: they made; Notes: continues the list of crafted vestments and sacred objects.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates the two actions; Translation: and; Notes: simple connective.
  3. laminam — Lemma: lamina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: plate; Notes: refers to the High Priest’s golden frontlet.
  4. sacræ — Lemma: sacer; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies venerationis; Translation: of sacred; Notes: expresses the holy function of the plate.
  5. venerationis — Lemma: veneratio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: veneration; Notes: indicates consecrated use.
  6. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: ablative of material; Translation: from; Notes: introduces substance of the object.
  7. auro — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: gold; Notes: describes literal substance.
  8. purissimo — Lemma: purissimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter superlative; Function: modifies auro; Translation: very pure; Notes: SUPER form used correctly as superlative degree.
  9. scripseruntque — Lemma: scribo; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative, third conjugation + -que; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: and they engraved; Notes: enclitic -que binds this action closely to Fecerunt.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: on; Notes: marks the surface engraved.
  11. ea — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: on it; Notes: refers back to the plate (lamina).
  12. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of manner/instrument; Translation: in the work; Notes: specifies type of craftsmanship.
  13. gemmario — Lemma: gemmarius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies opere; Translation: of a jeweler; Notes: denotes expert gemstonesmithing technique.
  14. Sanctum — Lemma: sanctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: part of inscription; Translation: Holy; Notes: object of engraving.
  15. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH; translate as “LORD” per required rule.

 

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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