Exodus 7:12

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:12 Proieceruntque singuli virgas suas, quæ versæ sunt in dracones: sed devoravit virga Aaron virgas eorum.

And each one threw down his rod, and they were turned into serpents; but the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Proieceruntque and they threw down 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 singuli each one NOM.PL.M
3 virgas rods ACC.PL.F
4 suas their ACC.PL.F.POSS
5 quæ which NOM.PL.F.REL.PRON
6 versæ having been turned NOM.PL.F.PERF.PASS.PART
7 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 dracones serpents / dragons ACC.PL.M
10 sed but CONJ
11 devoravit swallowed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 virga rod NOM.SG.F
13 Aaron Aaron GEN.SG.M (NAME)
14 virgas rods ACC.PL.F
15 eorum of them GEN.PL.M.PRON

Syntax

Proieceruntque singuli virgas suas —
Proieceruntque (main verb) + singuli (subject) + virgas suas (direct object).

quæ versæ sunt in dracones —
quæ (refers to virgas) + versæ sunt (passive periphrastic) + in dracones (predicate accusative of transformation).

sed devoravit virga Aaron virgas eorum —
devoravit (verb) + virga Aaron (subject) + virgas eorum (object), expressing superiority of Aaron’s sign.

Morphology

  1. Proieceruntque — Lemma: proicio + -que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: and they threw down; Notes: -que tightly links the action to the previous verse.
  2. singuli — Lemma: singulus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: each one; Notes: emphasizes individual participation.
  3. virgas — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: rods; Notes: objects transformed by magic.
  4. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies virgas; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: introduces transformation clause.
  6. versæ — Lemma: verto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate describing result; Translation: having been turned; Notes: transformation by occult power.
  7. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: were; Notes: completes passive periphrasis.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses change into a new state; Translation: into; Notes: transformation marker.
  9. dracones — Lemma: draco; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: serpents/ dragons; Notes: supernatural transformation.
  10. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: marks victory of Aaron’s sign.
  11. devoravit — Lemma: devoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of contrast clause; Translation: swallowed; Notes: dramatic reversal.
  12. virga — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: rod; Notes: Aaron’s rod as divine instrument.
  13. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: of Aaron; Notes: specifies ownership.
  14. virgas — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: rods; Notes: rods of the magicians.
  15. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive phrase; Translation: of them; Notes: refers to magicians.

 

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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