Exodus 39:35

Posted on March 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ec 39:35 mensam cum vasis suis et propositionis panibus:

the table with its vessels and the breads of the presentation;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 mensam table NOUN.ACC.SG.F
2 cum with PREP+ABL
3 vasis vessels NOUN.ABL.PL.N
4 suis its / their own PRON.ABL.PL.N.REFL
5 et and CONJ
6 propositionis of the presentation NOUN.GEN.SG.F
7 panibus breads NOUN.ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Another accusative item in the continuing inventory: mensam (“the table”) is the direct object governed by the earlier verb obtulerunt (“they presented”).

The phrase cum vasis suis is an ablative of accompaniment, indicating that the table was delivered together with its set of sacred vessels.

The coordinated item et propositionis panibus is an ablative construction identifying the “breads of the presentation” (the showbread) placed upon the table.

The syntax is a compact list structure, typical of the Vulgate’s rendering of Hebrew inventories.

Morphology

  1. mensam — Lemma: mensa; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine, first declension; Function: direct object; Translation: table; Notes: refers specifically to the Table of the Bread of the Presence.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: marks items delivered together.
  3. vasis — Lemma: vas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter, third declension; Function: object of cum; Translation: vessels; Notes: includes bowls, cups, pitchers, and containers associated with the table.
  4. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies vasis; Translation: its own; Notes: reflexive to the table.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates elements; Translation: and; Notes: introduces the second ablative phrase.
  6. propositionis — Lemma: propositio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine, third declension; Function: genitive modifying panibus; Translation: of the presentation; Notes: technical term for the showbread (“bread of being set before”).
  7. panibus — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine, third declension; Function: ablative expressing association; Translation: breads; Notes: refers to the twelve loaves renewed every Sabbath.

 

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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