Exodus 7:11

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:11 Vocavit autem Pharao sapientes et maleficos: et fecerunt etiam ipsi per incantationes Ægyptiacas et arcana quædam similiter.

Then Pharao called the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also themselves made likewise by Egyptian enchantments and certain secret arts.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vocavit called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / then ADV
3 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M (NAME)
4 sapientes wise men ACC.PL.M
5 et and CONJ
6 maleficos sorcerers ACC.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 fecerunt they did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
9 etiam also ADV
10 ipsi they themselves NOM.PL.M.PRON
11 per by / through PREP+ACC
12 incantationes enchantments ACC.PL.F
13 Ægyptiacas Egyptian ACC.PL.F.ADJ
14 et and CONJ
15 arcana secret arts ACC.PL.N
16 quædam certain ACC.PL.N.INDEF
17 similiter likewise ADV

Syntax

Main clause:
Vocavit autem Pharao sapientes et maleficos —
Vocavit (main verb) + Pharao (subject) + sapientes et maleficos (compound direct object).

et fecerunt etiam ipsi —
fecerunt (verb) + ipsi (emphatic subject, “they themselves”) + etiam adds emphasis (“also”).

per incantationes Ægyptiacas —
means by which the imitation is done.

et arcana quædam similiter —
arcana quædam (direct object) + similiter (adverb indicating manner).

Morphology

  1. Vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: called; Notes: introduces Pharaoh’s action.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective; Translation: then / however; Notes: light transitional particle.
  3. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: ruler of Egypt.
  4. sapientes — Lemma: sapiens; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: wise men; Notes: Egyptian court advisors.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links objects.
  6. maleficos — Lemma: maleficus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: sorcerers; Notes: practitioners of occult arts.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: introduces next clause.
  8. fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: verb of second main clause; Translation: they did; Notes: imitates the miracle.
  9. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: strengthens inclusiveness of subject.
  10. ipsi — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: they themselves; Notes: stresses imitation.
  11. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses means; Translation: by; Notes: introduces instrument of action.
  12. incantationes — Lemma: incantatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: enchantments; Notes: magical rites.
  13. Ægyptiacas — Lemma: Ægyptiacus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies incantationes; Translation: Egyptian; Notes: ethnic descriptor.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: joins secondary object phrase.
  15. arcana — Lemma: arcanum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: secret arts; Notes: hidden magical practices.
  16. quædam — Lemma: quidam; Part of Speech: indefinite adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies arcana; Translation: certain; Notes: suggests unspecified occult rites.
  17. similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses manner; Translation: likewise; Notes: stresses imitation of Aaron’s sign.

 

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.